The Boy Who Dreamed
There was a young boy born from a poor family who had huge dreams. His looks were a little different -- nicely different. He had fairer skin, dark brown hair, and could easily pass as an American living in the Philippines. He was born after the war so no wonder he must be part of the baby boom.
Growing up he always dreamed of going to United States of America. The marketing propaganda of that country had a huge impact on his young mind. He firmly believed it's the land of opportunities, the land of his dreams. Or maybe he just wanted to be in a place where he belongs.
Years have passed and he too started his own family. Six kids have been born bearing his name and streaks of his looks but the dreams never vanished. He's been to different countries, talked to different nationalities, but has never set foot in the land of his dreams. However it's still there at the back of his mind, buried in the subconscious part of his brain. There were more pressing matters he had to attend to first so he set aside his biggest dream.
The brain does wondrous things to us. Dreaming leaves us with that elating feeling. We haven't even touched or tasted what we're imagining but it seems like it's within our own hands. The nice thing about dreaming is that it never gets old no matter how many years have passed by. Our bodies age but our minds can stay as young as our 5-year-old self. This young boy who grew up to be one fine man never gave up on his dreams. With some hard work and a bit of luck, he finally found himself in a plane bound to America. And guess what how old he is? He's already 60!
Things were looking great while he was there. He left his family in the Philippines but provided them with more than what they needed. Balikbayan boxes came year after year containing groceries, new shoes and clothes, chocolates, and things that smell stateside. A decade have passed and his children have graduated from college, started working, and settled with their own families. He was hyper working all his life and suddenly there was no great purpose to earn money aside from providing for his own needs. He never really liked traveling as a tourist. He doesn't enjoy fancy restaurants. He's contented with 2 bottles of beer and a nice movie to watch at home. From having a noisy house, he realized how alone he is. The land of his dreams didn't provide him with companions. He suddenly misses his birth country where he can easily get into a conversation with his neighbors. To compensate with the chilly longing to familiar places and faces, he decided to create a reason to wake up and work hard everyday. He started buying stuff after stuff. Groceries good for a family of 5 even if he's the only one who would consume it, 2 cars even if he's the only one who would drive them, accessories to gadgets and appliances. He's living the dream where he's not deprived of the opportunities he didn't had before. But as many the things he's able to acquire, he also began to get annoyed easily and curse more even at the simplest errors.
One day he video called one of his children. His daughter was surprised to receive the call while she's doing the laundry. It wasn't an urgent, emergency call. He just simply wanted to peep into the other side of the globe. His daughter noticed his desperation and requested him to go back home. He's stiff and stern, trying to show no emotions. He politely declined his daughter's request. But she would never give up on it. She's got that drop of blood from her father.
"It's so much better here."
"But you work hard for nothing."
"I got rent and lease to pay."
"You don't need to hustle anymore. Enjoy the remaining years simply here where you really belong."
"I can't work there. I can't leave what I have here."
"You don't need to look for greener pastures to be truly happy. You don't need to part from your family to provide their needs."
The conversation was cut short. He can't take being reminded by his own daughter. But that night he thought so much about what she said. He slept dreaming of the warm breeze by the bay, the smiles from the children playing in the street, the sound of laughter from his neighbors.
Growing up he always dreamed of going to United States of America. The marketing propaganda of that country had a huge impact on his young mind. He firmly believed it's the land of opportunities, the land of his dreams. Or maybe he just wanted to be in a place where he belongs.
Years have passed and he too started his own family. Six kids have been born bearing his name and streaks of his looks but the dreams never vanished. He's been to different countries, talked to different nationalities, but has never set foot in the land of his dreams. However it's still there at the back of his mind, buried in the subconscious part of his brain. There were more pressing matters he had to attend to first so he set aside his biggest dream.
The brain does wondrous things to us. Dreaming leaves us with that elating feeling. We haven't even touched or tasted what we're imagining but it seems like it's within our own hands. The nice thing about dreaming is that it never gets old no matter how many years have passed by. Our bodies age but our minds can stay as young as our 5-year-old self. This young boy who grew up to be one fine man never gave up on his dreams. With some hard work and a bit of luck, he finally found himself in a plane bound to America. And guess what how old he is? He's already 60!
Things were looking great while he was there. He left his family in the Philippines but provided them with more than what they needed. Balikbayan boxes came year after year containing groceries, new shoes and clothes, chocolates, and things that smell stateside. A decade have passed and his children have graduated from college, started working, and settled with their own families. He was hyper working all his life and suddenly there was no great purpose to earn money aside from providing for his own needs. He never really liked traveling as a tourist. He doesn't enjoy fancy restaurants. He's contented with 2 bottles of beer and a nice movie to watch at home. From having a noisy house, he realized how alone he is. The land of his dreams didn't provide him with companions. He suddenly misses his birth country where he can easily get into a conversation with his neighbors. To compensate with the chilly longing to familiar places and faces, he decided to create a reason to wake up and work hard everyday. He started buying stuff after stuff. Groceries good for a family of 5 even if he's the only one who would consume it, 2 cars even if he's the only one who would drive them, accessories to gadgets and appliances. He's living the dream where he's not deprived of the opportunities he didn't had before. But as many the things he's able to acquire, he also began to get annoyed easily and curse more even at the simplest errors.
One day he video called one of his children. His daughter was surprised to receive the call while she's doing the laundry. It wasn't an urgent, emergency call. He just simply wanted to peep into the other side of the globe. His daughter noticed his desperation and requested him to go back home. He's stiff and stern, trying to show no emotions. He politely declined his daughter's request. But she would never give up on it. She's got that drop of blood from her father.
"It's so much better here."
"But you work hard for nothing."
"I got rent and lease to pay."
"You don't need to hustle anymore. Enjoy the remaining years simply here where you really belong."
"I can't work there. I can't leave what I have here."
"You don't need to look for greener pastures to be truly happy. You don't need to part from your family to provide their needs."
The conversation was cut short. He can't take being reminded by his own daughter. But that night he thought so much about what she said. He slept dreaming of the warm breeze by the bay, the smiles from the children playing in the street, the sound of laughter from his neighbors.
Comments
Post a Comment