JUST ANOTHER ORDINARY DAY: THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS

Introduction
A. Same people on the streets with their same usual business matters.
Same drivers, same roads, same passengers, same routes, and same
happenings. There isn’t really anything new that took place. It’s just another
ordinary day for an ordinary person who lives in the city. Nothing exciting,
new and the likes happened. Except for the fact that we saw it happen and
we experienced living and walking this usual day which I also call the looking
glass.
B. My NSTP experiences are definitely for keeps. I’m more than sincere
when I say that all that happened in this journey contribute to the better
person that I’m becoming. On the classroom sessions, I learned about
everything that has to do with being an Atenean, a citizen, and most
importantly, a Filipino. On the area work, meeting with new people and
knowing the real situation on the ground are two real things that I’m definitely
thankful for. This doesn’t just create awareness but it also enlightens our
mind to always hear out other people and not invalidate the stories that they
have to tell.
C. Our area work is basically about community involvement and
engagement. We interact with the community through our help in traffic
regulation and education.
D. XU-NSTP works with the community in a way that it really interacts
with them. XU-NSTP creates a sense of involvement in the community by
making sure that we become part of them not in the way of looking from the
windows of air-conditioned classrooms, but in the way of making sure that we
go out there outside the campus walls and do the interaction and involvement
ourselves.

First Point
A. The highlights of the NSTP engagement are the flashmob and the
tree-growing. I can say that these are the highlights because these are the
events that had the most interaction and impact with and on the community.
These are the majors activities that highlighted the very idea on why we
attend this class and why we are enrolled in the subject - to go back to the
very idea of community involvement. This means that we need to ensure that
we do not just go out there, but we should also help the people and do
something about the usual day-to-day problems.
B. First, I learned about the idea of privilege. I realized that being
privileged doesn’t necessarily mean that you could just ignore the problems
on ground. If things don’t affect you on a great level, it doesn’t mean that you
have no responsibility to help. I realized that at the end of the day, we find
more meaning in our life through knowing that we’ve helped other people.
Second, I’ve learned about patience. All throughout my experiences, I was
rejected, ignored and humiliated at some point. Through going through these
experiences over and over again, I’ve learned to develop and strengthen my
patience. Lastly, I’ve learned about gratitude and respect. Gratitude to people
who helped despite not benefiting from any of my shenanigans and respect to
all people despite differences in perspective and beliefs.
C. Atenean education was always there during the experiences. Being
taught to serve and help with a purpose without expecting any personal
returns was what really helped me in this journey. Being taught to be patient
and to do more made me finish some tasks that seemed impossible at that
time. Lastly, being taught to put God in the center of everything you do taught
me the patience that I really needed.

Second Point
A. I realized so many things in this journey. Before this, I was the type of
person who knows that there are problems that needed solutions but I was
the one who thought that I was too small to make a difference. While doing
our area works, I realized that change starts with you - no matter how small
or big impact you’re creating. I realized that if you really want things to
change for the ordinary people, you need to do something about it. I realized
my power to create and make an impact to other people’s lives. I realized that
being empowered is making sure that you get to do something about a
problem. I realized that I actually feel empowered.
 B. There are things that made me feel sad during the works, like being
left out by my group for example and being voiceless and powerless in the
face of reality that people will not really listen to what you have to say. But I
was consoled by the same experiences with other people when they willingly
answered my questions or when they told me their personal narratives
without being asked to. Warmth filled my insides. The idea of knowing that we
are all good people inside made me feel determined. The idea of having to
know that I impacted people’s lives positively consoled me.

Third Point
A. During the journey, I realized how much as students and citizens, we
need to be able to do something about the situation on the ground. I realized
with the help of my education that when people need help, you give them
help. I realized that we all have purpose on how we live our lives but what we
all have in common is knowing that we help those in need and we do
something about situations that we know aren’t right. This comes in being
sympathetic and sensitive to the people and acknowledging that they too
exist.
B. When challenges came, we only do one thing. To come back and
recall the very purpose on why we do this in the first place. We come back to
the idea of involving ourselves with the community to help it improve and
make it a better place for more people to live in. Because when we do this,
we realize that the trade-off between the challenges and the benefits is
clearly leaning towards the benefits. We will realize how much important our
cause and purpose are which will lead us to have the power and
determination of facing the challenges and breaking them.
C. Becoming men and women for others is clearly not easy, especially
when you lived your life being given the things that you need where you don’t
know what sacrifice means or what working hard for something means. But
when we went out there are lived the reality of the community even just for 4
saturdays or 5, we start to realize that we are in for a greater purpose.this
purpose is what pushes us to sacrifice for the benefits of the greater majority.
This is not easy but is definitely worth it.
Conclusion
XU-NSTP made me see the bigger picture. It made me more sympathetic
and passionate towards helping the community. It lessened my selfishness at
the least. It made me feel the idea of unity and being all together as one. XU
NSTP made me realize my potentials and my capability to change the current
problems and to create a big impact on the world. XU NSTP made me realize
my potentials and the possibilities of my actions.