In A Canon's Cloak

I will always remember my friend Sophia and the question she answered during a “Would You Rather” when we were young. It goes: “Would you rather be rich but lonely or poor but happy?”. She answered the former. A few hours later, I cornered her and asked the reason for her answer. She said, “Because I have always been that way.” Is that it?

I spent the rest of my college days being curious in capturing the spirit of wealth and happiness, their meanings, the disparity, as well as their connection. For years, I always wonder, if you can give your excess riches, even just a portion of it, to the poor and the poor gives you his extra happiness, then wouldn’t it be perfect? Wouldn’t it be a win-win situation?  I mean, this is what we are aiming for, right? I sometimes asked myself. This is what Management classes taught us. Strike win-win! But one thing I learned, win-win does not exist solely in the realm of business, of maximising profit and minimising costs, but there is this other world. Reality. And that world is complex, fast, modern, and ever-changing. 

Modern day realities (such as globalization, modernization, and infrastructures) paves the way for faster, direct, and more convenient way in improving one’s lifestyle, entertainment, and access. No wonder it is no surprise that humans, in a way, are caught inside their own realities. We set ourselves apart on becoming what is truly human. We tend to forget that reality is more than what the retina screen projects and that our realities are different from those of the poor. Ours are the one filled with purple Dome blooms. Theirs?  Theirs can only be dreams that are equivalent to our reality. We must do something. 

There is no harm in eliminating the gap between the rich and the poor. Saint John Baptist De La Salle further validated this when he said, “Real wealth is the ability to think and to feel not to be possessed by possession, to receive, to share. Children know this and there is no class distinction among them. If I can open their minds and let the sun enter in, if enough can do this, if we can only reach beyond the boundaries of the marked rich and poor, if we can open their minds to this light, the world will become a brighter place, closer to peace, closer to human fraternity.”

Doing so doesn’t require a title of a saint. With our intentions of improving their “reality”, we can always wear a cloak just like St. John Baptiste De La Salle and be simply like him -   

As a Dreamer who desires to transform violence to discipline and as someone who, at the same time, fulfills the dreams of others;

As a Leader who will start the spark for positive change and will support and guide his fellows in achieving the ultimate goal of opening the minds of people, especially of the youth, that the rich and the poor can be united;

As a Volunteer who doesn’t ask for anything in return;

As an Educator of the less fortunate whose literacy is a common struggle and as similar as difficulty of putting food on the table and providing shelter;

As a Humble Servant of God and His people, promoting kindness in all classes of people; and

As a Giver who gives something in return to a society that gives him more than enough because he believes that with great power comes great responsibility.