As I traversed the path leading to the Science Lab, I saw
students lining up at the Office of Student Affairs for the purpose of claiming
their IDs. These students have violated
“new orders” imposed upon by the campus management. Not speaking in English in designated areas,
hair dyed too light and arriving late for the flag raising ceremony were among
the most frequently violated school policies.
Teachers
aren’t spared of these new policies, too.
The use of plastic bags and containers are discouraged in the faculty
room. Anybody caught would have a
corresponding sanction depending on the frequency. New format for old documents, change in
deadline and new requirements are just some of the recent developments we
encountered in the last couple of months.
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| My former Chemistry students |
Now let’s
have some real talk. What is the common
denominator among all these changes?
Yes, you’re right! It is
COMPLAIN. Resistance, dissatisfaction,
grievance are just some of the synonyms of complain. Some do it occasionally while others do it on
a daily basis, or even worse, non-stop.
In facing new authorities, we inevitably digest new sets of rules. In the process of “digestion”, ask yourself…
Do I have a smooth one, or do I become dyspeptic?
Resisting
change can be considered part of human nature.
In fact, there is a very popular law in Physics. I’m sure you’ve heard about Newton’s first
law of motion, the Law of Inertia. It
states that an object will remain at rest unless acted on by an unbalanced
force. An object in motion continues in
motion with the same speed and in the same direction unless acted upon by an
unbalanced force. For example, a bicycle
continues to move to a distance even if you have already stopped peddling
it. Same goes with a moving car that
keeps on moving for some time even if you’ve turned off the engine. Have you noticed your body moving to the side
when a car makes a sharp turn? It is a natural motion which shows resistance to
the change in direction.
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| Screenshots of my video lessons for Quipper School. |
We also
experience “inertia” when we are compelled to go out of our comfort zone. We have a natural tendency to keep on doing
what we have been doing for a long time.
It might be something we like, or something we abhor. We stick to the familiar. But nonetheless, we do such thing because we
fear what is out there in store for us in the “unknown”.
We have been
chiseled by the reversible and irreversible reactions in our lives. I know this because it’s been almost 40 years
that I’ve been experiencing changes in my life.
Some almost broke me while most made me a better person. As the cliché goes, what can’t break you can
only make you stronger. Sometimes
they’re overwhelming and seemed impossible to overcome. But one lesson I’ve learned is to accept it,
and surrender everything to God. After
the dust has settled, everything will be as clear as white light reflecting beautiful colors in our
endothermic state of mind.
As we
welcome the new university president, new teachers and classmates, more
stringent (or lenient?) policies, we can either resist them or embrace
them. Would you follow the Law of Inertia,
or would rather be lawless? Accelerate or decelerate? It’s up to you. But one thing is guaranteed. After all the shenanigans had taken their
courses, you will be a whole new different person. When you smile in the mirror, you will see a
better version of yourself smiling back at you.
A famous
quote by Sir Isaac Newton says “If I have seen further, it is by
standing on the shoulders of Giants.”
By giants, he referred to Galileo Galilei who paved the way for the
understanding of motion. Newton learned
from the previous experiments done by Galileo. He wouldn’t have been as great
as he is if not for the latter’s discoveries. In turn, we also have a giant in
our life, and that is God. Our faith in
Him lets us see beyond the surface where the empirical world could not see. Our God is an enormous God who will catch us
during the “free fall” of our lives.
