Since when I was born, my parents livelihood is farming. So, we live in the edge of the mountain where electricity was not available and even gadgets. I live in a simple life; fresh fruits, vegetables and fishes live in the river are our primary foods. When I was 8 years old, I started to help my parents in farming like planting, cleaning and harvesting rice. Also, I started to do some household chores to help my parents since they are being tired in farming and other things that is needed have an income. I am the third child, I have two older brother and one younger brother on that time. But my first brother was not in us because he was studying in high school and stay in the house of our uncle in other barangay. I enjoyed being a child, play and laugh whenever it can be, climbing in the guava tree, hide and seek, and many more.
I am in grade 2 with that age (8 years old), my second year in studying and walking from our house to school with 3 km distance. Sometimes, if it is raining in the afternoon, I have no choice only to put my papers in a plastic bag and walk on the rain just to go home. Although, I still interested in studying because my parents say that it was the only way to improve our life even it is far and we have financial problem. During my early childhood, I experienced to ate rice once a day and the two meals, we only ate sweet potato, cassava or banana.
With those experienced, I think it contributed to my growth which results to me to have a dark skin and slim body because of work. I am the third child but I act as the first one because as I said earlier, my first brother was not in our house and my second brother was passed away when I was 9 years old. On the other hand, I learned to appreciate the little things happens in my life and able to do the household chores. Also, I learned to become industrious and pursue my studies to achieve my dreams and have worthy life. That part of my life (when I was 8 years old), I am thankful right now that even our house was far away from school, still I was able to study every day and didn’t stop. I am thinking about this, “what if I didn’t go to school? who and where I am right now?”. So, I am still blessed that I achieve this, that I reach the college level and after three or four years, I am hoping to have a work.
Moreover, being born and grow only with some of my relatives, I wasn’t able to develop enough self-confidence and to communicate with other people. Although, I encounter other people during elementary and high school days but still I feel shy. Until now, I am not confidently enough to speak in front of great number of people and continue fighting to achieve that. Since my parents disciplined me well, I was not become strong-headed to them, instead I become obedient and considerate to what they may be feel if I did something bad. I only quiet whenever they are anger or advising me to what I did wrong and that led me to control myself and my emotion. Nowadays, I can control my emotion and not harming other people. Whatever I feel that making me uncomfortable, I will just write my thoughts and whatever I wanted to say in my notes (apps in mobile phone) to release my emotion. Suddenly, I feel much better, can focus and can think to what should I do to solve that certain problem.
To conclude, I can say that history or past experiences of an individual can affect the way on how to deal in present situation. Also, it builds up the personality of the person. Bad memories could lead to wrong path but if we accept it and see its positive side, it will lead to new opportunities, lessons and become better as the time goes by. Just like what Oprah Winfrey says “Turn your wounds into wisdom”.
Jessa B. Bungay 