Turkeys

Confucius says, "If you want to soar with the eagles, don't run with the turkeys."

Actually, a Christian author wrote that (Whit Criswell, What Makes A Winner: Principles from the Bible for Business and Life) - an affirmation of what Bo Sanchez spoke about last Sunday. Indeed, if you surround yourselves with losers, there's a very real danger of becoming a loser yourself. We have to choose our company - our team - well, just like Jesus carefully selected His own Dream Team, those he called His disciples. True, he associated with and loved the “drunkards and prostitutes,” his “customers” or the people He came to serve; but He spent most of His time alone with the Father or with His Dream Team, which is perhaps why He didn’t become like His “customers.” On the contrary, many of them turned away from pursuing the road to disaster, and began to follow His path, desiring to be more like Him.

Choosing who we shall model ourselves after – our mentors, our idols, the people we look up to - is a crucial decision that determines how we choose to live our lives. But the responsibility of being a model ourselves – wittingly or otherwise – is far more overwhelming.

Case in point. There is a lovely little girl in He Cares who has, apparently, decided to be Honey, Jr. Tonight at the parents’ prayer meeting, I saw her again after quite sometime – I’ve been traveling so much out of and around the country and working more than a few jobs in Manila and BC, that even my Saturdays at the Center have been compromised. This evening though, I got to spend a little quality time with some of the children while their Moms were being led in worship, even if it was just listening to their talk and updates on school and life and whatever else. And, out of the corner of my eye, Donya – who once insisted on posing for a photo with my bag and heels – began to slick back her hair into a tight ponytail, which emphasized even further the length and size of her dangling earrings. Er. I realized who she wanted to look like; it was very cute. Even cuter was when I found that the erstwhile “babies” of He Cares were now ambulatory toddlers who could engage Ate Ganda in conversation and play with her earrings and bracelets and imitate her every move.

Just like it’s cute when little Rommel from the household raises his hands in worship at the Feast, because that’s what he sees his Ates and Kuya doing. Or when the little kids kneel and kiss the floor before the Blessed Sacrament, because that’s what they’ve seen their elders doing. Or when they show the same kindness they’ve received to others who are even less privileged than themselves.

What’s NOT cute is when these little impressionable ones learn things that are not as laudable from their role models, or the people tasked to show them how to live a decent life. It’s not cute when they learn from their parents that violence is a way to vent life’s unfairness upon other people. Or when they hear their role models use offensive language or display undesirable habits. Or when they observe these people whom they look up to act in a manner, conduct their affairs, or treat their responsibilities that leaves very much to be desired. They begin to think, “that’s all right for me then, because Kuya ___/Ate ____ does it/is like that.” In that case, we become turkeys. We become the people that Bo advised us to run far, far away from. And if we are going to contribute to their growing character in a negative manner that is not upbuilding, then it is our obligation to run far, far away from these innocents. But may we never have to!

Just a friendly reminder that we spend more time with the eagles, not turkeys. Let’s not turn into our “customers”; but help them turn into “us” – and only if we’re worth “turning into”! And be eagles ourselves. You’ll be surprised (and, if you’re like me, a little scared) to realize how many people actually want to be like you.

Truly indeed, that gives even more meaning to that old song: “Walang sinuman ang nabubuhay para sa sarili lamang; tayong lahat ay may pananagutan, sa isa’t isa…” Tayong lahat ay tinipon ng Diyos, na kapiling Niya. Praise God.