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5 I The Best Online Education System in the world
WATCH AT HOME OR GO LIVE?
Kathlyn Q. Barrozo
Class of 1991, University of Santo Tomas
B.S. Medical Technology
There is no such thing as certainty in life. In high school, I learned that the only certain things in life are death—
and taxes. Let me add that life is designed to carry a lot of uncertainties, for sure.
How can we be sure that the things we are certain of are true or right? We have religion to guide us, the expert
opinions of others that we can derive inspiration from. Yet, we can never be certain that outcomes remain the
same all throughout, and expectations can be easily met when we do as others do. No two situations are ever
alike in all aspects. There will always be variations of one sort of another.
Dealing with uncertainties takes a lot of courage and perseverance. Yet the beauty of it lies in not knowing for
sure. Isn’t that the ultimate mystery in life? That we are never able to know for sure what lies ahead? It’s pretty
much like the analogy of looking at a TV set that’s switched off, and staring at images on the screen when it’s
been turned on. The dark, silent screen is boring, dull, and simply dead. But watching a TV program could lead
to hours of amusement. But then again, watching a TV show live can prove to be a lot more exciting. You could
become a studio contestant, have photos taken with famous stars, or just enjoy the whole show and live to tell
the tale. Definitely, the uncertainty in being part of a live show promises a greater degree of excitement.
That is how we should see life---as a show being beamed live to our own TV sets. How we interact with the
people we know and do not know, how we react to specific situations, how we deal with every little situation
that we encounter will demonstrate how far we’ve grown as individuals. It is not in the planned, heavily-
strategized instances of our lives that we find the greatest amount of encouragement and achievement: it is in
the heart-pounding, heavily-uncertain moments that we can derive the greatest pleasure from. Lying in bated
breath for an uncertain moment to pass may be relatively difficult. But just imagine what a pleasant surprise it
will ultimately be when we find that the hard work we put in has contributed much to the success we reap.
The beauty of not knowing lies in the unexpectedness of the outcome. That’s what counts a lot more than all
the planning and gut-wrenching wishes we have.
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION:
1.
What gives you greater satisfaction in life, the joy of not knowing or the expectedness of planned
outcomes? Why?
2.
Why are surprises great?
3.
What kinds of uncertainties do you have to face each day?
4.
Can people incite uncertainties in you? How?
5.
Are there things you are certain of? Why do you consider them certain?