Lifetime Choices

What becomes of us is a result of a series of choices, sometimes easy and at times difficult and life-changing. But with God by our side, life can be lived better.

Life is a ‘C’

A friend sent me a message the other day about life. It says Life is just between B and D, so it’s C. ‘B’ means ‘Birth’ and ‘D’ means ‘Death’ and ‘C’ means ‘Choices’. Life is basically a matter of choice.

My Misadventure

In 1986, when I arrived to the place I am living now, I was a total stranger with just a hundred pesos in my pocket. I undertook the trip to Palawan known then as a place for the “colonos” or prisoners because of the Iwahig Penal Colony, the lepers because of a leper colony in Culion, an island at the extreme tip of mainland Palawan, and the infamous “malaria” who many people disdain. Despite this discouraging impression of the island and my mother’s extreme reaction to my plan to join a friend to explore the place, I went on against the odds.

It had been a difficult life in the early stages of my ‘misadventure’ in Palawan as I had contracted malaria twice (the second one almost got me) and lived a very rural life, sometimes living off the day with just camote tops and drinking water clouded with silica from a shallow water well dug with bare hands. I have put myself at risk and I consider myself fortunate to have survived all of those things. I happened to live far from the civilized or more developed places in Palawan as part of missionary work I never chose. I was so desperate for work and would almost take on anything that would come my way.

Turning Points

When my friend decided to go home (place of our origin about 400 miles away) I opted to stay in Puerto Princesa, the capital of Palawan. I knew nobody then and had a few hundred pesos in my pocket to get by. I was confident I could survive in another new place because I have many skills to muster. I started out as a tricycle driver while applying for better work as I have already finished college. I thought these things are at best transient and I prayed fervently that God guide my way. A few months thereafter, I got a job catering to displaced Vietnamese refugees.

It took me 6 job changes before settling on one where I stayed longer. It was a crocodile conservation facility (see my previous article Magnificent Predators: Crocodiles. I started out from the lower rung as caretaker then eventually rose to become the head of the research division. I was on contractual status then and I decided it is better to find a permanent job for security. After seven years in that facility, I applied for work in a university and was accepted. It is where I am now. I honed my teaching skills and eventually finished the highest degree I never thought I would pursue and attain.

Series of Choices

All these things happened out of a series of choices that I made. Some decision situations were easy but some were difficult and life-changing. And some, I chose by default. At one point I was overwhelmed with cares and thought I should end it all but at best it’s just an easy choice that I did not take. I still believe that life is worth living to its maximum potential and each day provides choices that will make a difference. I lived ahead and believed my situation will change after a month, if not, then a year, if not, then I’ll see in five years. A very significant decision I had was to live life with Christ at the helm, because when I did all my cares were gone.

Life indeed is a choice, but better lived with a living God than without one.