A Tsunami of Information

A Tsunami of Information
by Monique dela Peña

Indeed, this world is peculiar. It possesses immeasurable amount of information that is to be absorbed by us. We get information everyday at home, in school, in entertainment centers, or just about everywhere. Technology is fast advancing and the next thing I know there are computers in shoes invented by Adidas. My mind is spinning with the latest inventions of 2004 reported by TIME. I think I am on the verge of losing my sanity.

The challenge for us is to separate the chaff from the grain. We receive information that can be boring or, interesting and useful. The question is: Are we getting the message? Sometimes we do not. That is the problem. What makes it worse is that we think we do get the message. Getting the message is a question of attitude.

My father is very much devoted with his work in collecting garbage. He loves to keep the environment clean because a dirty environment endangers one’s health. He segregates the waste materials and puts them in their proper places. As for the kitchen waste, it is disposed off in a special bin that is to be mixed with bio- digester, sawdust and sand. After it is buried for a few weeks, it becomes fertilizer that enables the healthy growth of plants. He fondly calls it sustainable ecological balance.

There is a message behind this routine he follows everyday. He is showing an example to our neighbors so that they too will follow. Unfortunately, they do not respond to the message my father is trying to send. He says that he is just doing justice to nature by keeping the environment clean. After all, it is where we survive. It is from the environment that man is able to satisfy his basic needs. Father adds that the greatest virtue one must practice is justice. Is it not justice to study well because my teachers do everything they can to guide me and my parents who have to pay such a high price for my tuition every year? It is unfair for them if I do not do my best in school. But I keep in mind that I go to school to learn. It is not necessarily for my teachers and my parents but for me.

It must be frustrating for someone like my father who does his chores regularly. Does he give up? Amazingly, he does not. He just continues what he does, hoping that one day the neighbors’ attitudes would change.

Like I mentioned earlier, it is a question of attitude. That then is the problem. It is our responsibility to solve the problems we face daily. We need to have discipline.Last week, I just got my driver’s license. And what did I notice? Smoke belching buses, jeepneys and vans. Did not Congress pass the Clean Air Act? There are so many laws passed by Congress, but they are not being followed. Again, it is attitude. TIME gave a special report on pollution in Asian countries especially China, Hong Kong and India. What was the message of this report? Pollution is slowly killing us. Polluted air is all around us. I am filled with apprehension because this affects our health. I feel rather helpless because I do not know what to do. The least I can do is take good care of my car so that there would be no emissions of poisonous gases.Of course, there are other challenges we face in this world. The world has become a dangerous place. Danger lurks everywhere. Terror can strike anytime when you least expect it. I wish I could send a message to those terrorists that violence brings in more violence. I pray that they will realize that making people live in fear is totally wrong and despicable.Let us make a difference. We all can start at home. Besides, family is the basic unit of society. It is the rock we hold on to. The family is where we learn our moral values and whatever is learned in the family must be contributed to society. This is one of the principles of Confucianism. A strong family builds a strong country. We could all be good students so we can be of service to society. Strive, achieve and excel. With this motto, we are reminded to do our very best so that we can face challenges with great confidence, determination and courage.

What can I do? As a teenage student, it is a matter of attitude. To be disciplined is to have the right attitude. First of all, I should listen to my parents. They give me the guidance I need to prepare myself for the real world. By doing this, I should be independent in doing my homework and in fulfilling other tasks.

Time management is also related to discipline. There is always a time for everything. The essentials come first. My assignments are done first before anything else. I always tell myself, “Okay, let’s get this over with.” After I am done with my assignments I feel relaxed and comfortable. I am prepared to go to school. I feel a sense of achievement.

Setting up priorities is important too. Should I study first or hang out with friends? First and foremost, my studies come first. To prove this I do not have a boyfriend yet. Although there is nothing wrong with falling in love, sometimes it makes me sick when people my age or even younger claim to have a love life. The question is: Are they really in love? But I have no problem for those couple who can balance their studies with romance. If you are doing well in school, then there is no problem. However, it is better to study because having a love life may distract you. I will get a boyfriend when I am ready. Will it be too late at the age of thirty?

I believe that there will come a time wherein people would accept the message from information they obtain so as to address the problems facing us today. Let us unite for posterity.I agree that sometimes we get all the information but refuse to get the message. Do you think I have what it takes to survive in a tsunami of information? You bet I will survive.