The Pursuit of Happyness (A Reaction Composition)

(In our call center agent training class, we were given a chance to watch a movie and we were required to make a reaction composition out of it. The following paragraphs talks about how I felt after watching the said movie. I'm going to cite some of the quotes used in the movie. At the same time I would like to cite some situations inside my class right now that well fits in the quotes that I picked up.)


I met my father for the first time when I was 28 years old. I made up my mind that when I had children, my children were going to know who their father was. Everyone of us wanted to have someone to lean on when we are in trouble. We always wanted to be fathered by someone else whom we are at with. It does'nt always mean that he is our biological father. He could also be someone else. For as long as we know that the person we chose to be a father for us is someone who can protect us and knows what's best for us. If some people can be good father to people they are not a kin with, how much more for real fathers? Let me talk about the situation in my class. Noeme, one of my student is clamoring for how difficult the program exercise I assigned them to do. She is pleading for me to tell them the solution for the problem.

It was supposed to be an assignment but they refuse to do it. Thingking I will tell them the solution, they make a lot of excuses. But the reality of the fact is that, they don't do their activity, Nil John and Rodjun play computer games. April Rose and Mary Grace are surfing the net of a social networking site. Ergie is playing solitaire. Jonah is working on the activity but she doesn't know where to go.

Fathers always go for what is best for their children, but these children of mine don't want to go their best. They only think of the difficulties of an activity but they are not trying their best to work for the solution. When I was in college, I was looking for someone to be "my father" to help me in my studies. Noone guides me. No one teaches me. I do it on my own. I do research. I do a lot of readings. And I don't quite if I know their is a chance of knowing it.

But my students, eventhough how I guide them, I can't let them learn. it is because they don't want to learn on their own. They want to be spoonfed. Poor little spirits...


You got a dream... You gotta protect it. People can't do somethin' themselves, they wanna tell you, you can't do it. If you want somethin', go get it. Period.
Nil John, he was good in my class during the start of the class. I don't know why he turned to being stubborn and bad in my class now. Lately, he made a lot of absences. He and his close friend (?) Rodjun will jus come into my class if not late not at all. Or if they preffered to stay in my laboratory class, they don't do the assigned exercises. They just mess around and play their favorite computer games.

Whatever their reason for not doing good in my class, I don't care. For as long as they will be able to pass the final exams, then they pass. If not, then I'll check if they know how to solve for the exercises I gave them. Then I will check for the attendance. But as of now, I can't see a better reason to let them pass.

When I was in college, I was not at all times. When I came to get into trouble in my lessons, I see to it that will be able to pass that subject. I don't wait for someone to tell me that I need to study harder. I don't. Because I know no one can tell me what should I do. I am the one who will carry my future for me. I juts hope they will realize the best thing to do. And if they will do it, am just hoping they will do it earlier. Or else things will be late and I can't help them.

Probably means there's a good chance. Possibly means we might or we might not.
Jay-R, he is not intellectually superior but he has some kind of a patience. He try himself to solve the problem. He is very jollyperson. He would always make his classmates laugh good. He perseveres to try things out. He will not stop until he reaches his elastic limit. Although at some point he is tested by the temptations his classmates are giving him. But he would always have a sense of responsibilities on his shoulders. He would return into the activity and do it again. He would make a lot of good chances for the solution.

Then in the end, he will give up if he knows there is a weak possiblity of getting into the correct solution.

It was right then that I started thinking about Thomas Jefferson on the Declaration of Independence and the part about our right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. And I remember thinking how did he know to put the pursuit part in there? That maybe happiness is something that we can only pursue and maybe we can actually never have it. No matter what. How did he know that?
No matter what. The pursuit of happiness is always there. For a student to be in college is not easy. Making a lot of assignments and homeworks, exams and quizzes here and there, projects and practical exams in every corner, and paying of fees every month. It is a lot tough. But April, she might not have it yet in mind. She would always like to do facebook, friendster, etc. ect. and more social networking sites. I don't know what she might get in submerging in that. BUt for her, who cares? She would always wanted to be with it. Uploading new pictures, editing her pictures and etc. Do her parents know all about what she is doing? Well. Its always easy to be with that sites rather than making solutions for the program execises I gave them.

Jane, like Nil John, she was also good during the first quarter of the sessions. She's the one I was thinking before who have the skill in programming. Lately, she is not doing well. She made a lot of absences more than her attendance. Too bad for an intellectually capacitated girl. Whatever her reasons, I don't know. I am not in the right position to ask. Maybe not.


Christopher: Hey dad, you wanna hear something funny? There was a man who was drowning, and a boat came, and the man on the boat said "Do you need help?" and the man said "God will save me". Then another boat came and he tried to help him, but he said "God will save me", then he drowned and went to Heaven. Then the man told God, "God, why didn't you save me?" and God said "I sent you two boats, you dummy!"
What is the matter with this young fellow? They always thinks that what I am teaching them is plane trash. Or maybe they are thinking, their former teachers in computer could do better than I am. Or maybe they are thinking that I am teaching them the things their teachers before have taught them.

What can I do? That is what is required in the subject matter I am teaching? If they cant solve a specific problem which they already have tried before, how much more for new language that will be introduced? We sometimes failed to recognized beautiful things from people around us. We always thinks that beggars are nothing but stinky creatures on our land. But we fail to realize that they are reminders for us to become human. If we give them five peso coin, they say thank you. But try to give a hundred to a rich man and you get a bully.

As a teacher, when I saw my students doing their work and giving attention into it, I feel happy. It is the time when I can say, they are doing it not because they respect me. Not even because they are afraid of me. But simply because they are conscious about their future. They do care for the future that awaits them.

I am not giving them the pains and hurts. But rather I am training them to become a good professional in the future. That is doing the things on thier own without being supervised at all times.

Sometimes we people fail to see good things... real good things...

Wanna know what's my favorite color?

(This was an impromptu speech in my call center training class. The activity was to describe to a blind friend the color you like most.)


Let me start it with an anecdote. Two weeks ago, I took an assessment for Computer Hardware Servicing. I was excited because I'm confident I can do the job well. I did everything I can from disassembling to assembling computer parts, to installing appropriate operating system and system drivers, to browsing to the Internet. But when the last phase came, that is printer sharing, i wasn't able to make it. You might ask why. Actually, I encountered that problem already during the training but i was hesitant to ask then. i was afraid to make clarifications. Now, I get my price.

I'm damn frustrated, sad, sad and gloomy. I'm feelin' blue...
From now on, that's my favorite color. Blue.

My friend, can you picture out the color blue now?