Some people are just plainly unbelievable.
I happened to have a friend from a foreign country who desperately wanted to have a poster of his crush, just to have something to fantasize about in his room. The poster was there in the street, and it so happened the universe lay all her cards perfectly that no pair prying eyes were around. So his hands did the dirty job (which was illegal), got caught by the police, and served jail for it. I cringed.
“Forest, lady, or straight, anyone?” that’s another friend’s line who used to be a drug dealer for Manila’s literati until he got cornered and followed by the other big time dealers who threatened to put his family’s house to flames. He promised not to do it again since then. At least that’s what he said.
Another friend recently called, he was asking me, being a student nurse, if I happen to know a doctor who discretely treats sexually transmitted infections since I think he’s got gonorrhea or something (sign and symptoms: painful burning pain upon urination, pus discharge).
Can I just ballistically whack these people's heads!? Say,what are you doing with your life?! Don’t you know how to use a condom?! Are you insane?! turning into a delinquent?! Sexually preoccupied?!
Amid these outrageous experiences, there’s still a thing one could learn from their experiences. That is, the best role models are not the ones who lived a clean slate life.
They are not those who receive a CNN hero of the year award because of some kariton education streak or some taxi driver who turned in a purse with thousand dollars left by a foreign national in his cab (as if not expecting a reward for the act). While these people have done just so much heroic deeds to be considered a hero, I still believe that they still won't pass to be considered as role models. Not that I don’t have the highest regard for them, I really do; however, I believe role models are more than just an effigy of a person’s sheer display of valor and integrity.
The best people to serve as our role models are the ones who lived their lives to the fullest, fucked up all there is to fuck about, and those who made the necessary compromises for the things they had done. They are the unwavering ones still standing after a raging storm, the strategic ones who apparently will lose a pusoy dos game only for his opponents to find out that all the dos’s are on his deck, and those clever ones who nearly lost a chess game but managed to turn the table around. Most saints didn't become one if not for their stories of struggles and repentance, I guess even the Bible supports my claim.
There is much to learn from other people, you just have to listen to them.
