Back in high school, I remember thinking a lot about what I wanted to be when I grew up. I had a hard time choosing the course I was to take in college. Just like everybody else (I guess), I wanted to land a job that would give me a lot of money, that would make me fulfill my dream of traveling all over the world, but most importantly, a job that will make me sleep tight at the end of the day.
Eventually, the dreadful time came—enrolment for college. While I was walking around the school I chose to spend my next years earning a degree, there was only one question on my mind. What do I want to be? Do I want to be an engineer and build things? Do I want to be an accountant and deal with numbers? Do I want to be a nurse and heal people?
Just when I was almost drowned in confusion, I remembered a piece of advice someone gave me. Just go to where your heart is. Know what it is that you love most doing and pursue it.
So what do I love doing? I love being around people. I love singing songs. I love reading books. I love writing. Yes, I love writing. Bragging aside, even when I was still in my elementary years, I already excelled in composition and grammar. So that’s where my heart is—in writing.
When it was time to fill in my enrolment forms, I wrote down with all certainty at the part where I was supposed to write down my chosen field—Mass Communications. There, I was already at ease and overly excited to start my first day in college.
Later that day, we met a friend of my mom’s at a shopping mall. She asked what course I was taking, and when I answered I was kind of shocked with her reply. It was almost eight years ago but still it is very vivid in my memory. She exclaimed, “Ano?! Wala kang makukuhang pera sa kasasalita! Bakit hindi ka pa nag nurse?” I only smiled in reply but deep inside I wanted to punch her in the face and swore that someday she would regret what she said.
Going through college, I had only one challenge in mind—to finish school, get a job and make a name for myself in the future.
After I graduated, my mom encouraged me to apply for the position of field reporter in one of the regional stations of a renowned broadcasting company in the country. To make the long story short, I did not have a hard time applying for the position and got the job.
At first it scared me. I am not a Ms Congeniality who can get along with people at the snap of a finger. But as a natural risk-taker, I plunged into this unfamiliar territory with all the confidence I could muster.
Surprisingly, I enjoyed the job and somehow got my dream fulfilled. My salary was not that big but it was able to make me buy the things that I wanted and eat food anywhere I wanted. It made me travel a lot. Not around the world, but at least around our region. Though sometimes it gave me sleepless nights due to overtime, it still made me feel good at the end of the day because I knew I had done a good job.
Most importantly, it made me pursue my love of writing. I wrote almost a dozen news items every day. Yes, it was really exhausting but the feeling of fulfillment was always over and above any muscle pain and any headache I felt.
Plus, I gained more friends. And remember my silent promise to my mom’s friend who insulted my chosen career? When we met again, she couldn’t help holding my hand and say how happy and proud she was. Still, I replied with just a smile.
After two fruitful years, I decided to move on to another chapter of my life. It was painful to leave the job that was so dear to me, but I closed my eyes and walked on with no regrets.
Now, I am sitting as the officer in charge of the public information office of our city’s local government unit. This is equally challenging as my previous job but at least it’s quieter now and I can have more time with my family, my friends and myself.
One thing remains the same—my passion for writing. I still write news; the only difference is that I write more good than bad news now. And that for me is better.
Aside from my regular job, sometimes I still sit back and write about random thoughts in my mind (just like this one) and keep them so that when I grow old, I will be guided by my thoughts (in print) when I look back on my younger years.
This alone makes me feel happy and content with what I have done, what I am doing and who I am today.
You see, it is never a bad thing to chase your dreams. There will be some setbacks and consequences you will meet along the way but you should never turn back to step one. Instead, take a deep breath and move forward. Don’t let people bring you down. Stand up and say, “I can make it.”
I have also learned that yes, money is very important for our daily survival. But at the end of the day, it is not your money that you would be counting—it is the amount of work you’ve done, the people’s lives you have touched and the blessings you have shared with others.
Halima K. Satol, 24, is officer in charge of the public information office in Cotabato City.