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2 I The Best Online Education System in the world
ANNIE’S TOMORROW---POSSIBLE?
Kathlyn Q. Barrozo
Class of 1991, University of Santo Tomas
B.S. Medical Technology
Even a monkey can fall from a tree, or so an ancient saying goes. It’s perfectly alright to make mistakes and be
uncertain of the future. No one on God’s green earth can profess to have a thoroughly intimate knowledge of
what is yet to come, and whether something is yet to be. The future proves to always have an elusive aspect of
existence, and it is not man’s capacity to hold the future entirely in his grasp. Banking on the advice of those
who profess to see the future is a risk as well as a mistake. However, we can be masters of our own future by
learning from the valuable lessons of the past and applying those very lessons to the present. By doing so, we
make a huge step towards ensuring our destiny in the future. But even that is uncertain.
With December 21, 2012 so close, the internet has had a small number of write-ups about the supposed end of
the world based on the Mayan calendar. But I’ve read one greatly informative article state that the date should
be December 23, 2012. And most importantly, the specific date DOES NOT signify a prediction of the end of the
world, but rather the end of a cycle in the Mayan calendar. So, just sleep soundly through the night knowing
that there’s still another tomorrow to look forward to. (Cross fingers here!)
It may be difficult to contemplate what could happen in the future. Despite that, it is still best to plan, meditate,
reflect on what one wants to achieve. Is it greatness? Blessedness? Success in a career? A good life for the
family? The reason why financial planners and insurance brokers are able to thrive in the industry is because
they are able to offer products that seem to be based on sound principles of seeing the future. Who wouldn’t
want security? Safety? A guarantee of solid perspectives for the future? So we save, invest, obtain insurance
policies, put our money into bonds and mutual funds and other similar undertakings.
There’s nothing intrinsically wrong with the desire to invest in something that could have the potentials of
growing. But believing too much in promises and pledges of stability can be nothing short of simple fanaticism
and well, blindness. Many insurance companies have already folded up, even though they have been in
existence for decades. Why not invest in something more profound, like the upliftment of values and
dedication to living a more responsible way of living? Perhaps, if we are able to commit to a life of kindness,
love, generosity, and caring for others, the future might yet prove not to be too difficult or grim. Hope springs
eternal, despite the fact that even monkeys can fall from trees.
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION:
1.
Based on what has been happening in the world: the crash of economies, countless calamities, and enmity
between people, what is your perception of the future? Why so?
2.
How do you deal with the uncertainties inherent in the future?
3.
Have you secured a personal insurance or something similar? What made you decide on doing so?
4.
Can we ever be sure about what is to come in the future? Why or why not?
5.
Explain in your own terms: live each day like it was the last day of your life.