I happened to read a dilemma of some kind from a very concerned mother relating her story about her own daughter with a problem in school. It was upsetting that I found myself being on her goody two shoes although I would prefer Rusty Lopez shoe collections because they are truly appropriate for my dainty little toes.

Did you know that I had a big problem when I was in grade school? At the time that I was enrolled in first grade or grade one (elementary). I could already print, write, draw and able to read high school textbooks at a very early age. But how could be such a problem? In Philippines if you can already read and write and you pass the entrance exam for elementary grades you can join the many smart students in section 1. Section One belongs to the class of the smartest students. I was lucky to be in Section One in Grade One. I still can remember my first teacher, her face, and her name. Although I have regrets. She sent me to another section. For reasons that I don't even know up to now. I don't know what's her real problem. All I can think of she is close to her age wherein her wit doesn't make sense anymore. Plus the fact that students who are classified as "smarts" were sons and daughters of the following people: principal, teachers, supervisor, doctors, accountant and the many parent-volunteers in those period of times. Or those students who were brothers and sisters of the past valedictorians and salutatorians in that school. That's always been the case, anyway. You don't need a rocket scientist to figure that out!

However, here's what I found out. I was taken to another class of 50 students at Section Seven (7). It was degrading isn't it? It is humiliating!! I was shocked!!! I was mad. I was angry. How could this happened to me? Is there something wrong with the educational system? Were they blind?

Knowing what SEVEN is I have my own kind of vendetta. I showed everyone, I showed all the teachers in that school that they cannot degrade me no further. Martial Law came into effect in September 21, 1972 and voila! Eureka!! I'm leading the class and my classmates who happened to be the group of the "smartests." We had it turned upside down. We are sons and daughters of the Armed Forces, Navy and Marines. I called our class the "elite group" with the strategy like no other. Okay that is somewhat an exaggeration. In fairness through all these you cannot deny any child to learn. Everyone has a mental capacity to learn. It's not being on a section or group that labels you are "slow." Let say they are slow. But probably they are "sure and secured." What about say you are fast and so quick but in what way? You are fast and always in a hurry that's why you have an accident? It's okay you have an accident, you fall on the ground but everytime you fall and the fastest that you can get up without being hurt is a form of knowledge. Yeah could be a riddle of sort.

On finding a job sometimes IT's WHOM YOU KNOW. NOT WHAT YOU KNOW. Too lame right? But of course the employers always asked for you to have references. They don't know much about you even if you have comprehensive resume for their perusal.

After graduated from university, armed with xerox copies of diploma, transcript of record, and the bio-data here goes my one of a lifetime counting electrical posts. way too funny. I and my friend woke up that early morning, only to be shocked at the long line up of applicants at the PLDT in Makati Office. Thousands of us in a line up under the scorching heat of the sun, on the concrete sidewalk where the cars, buses and jeepneys had traffic jam on the road. The smoke from those smoke belching vehicles once in awhile kept us hiding from our umbrella. We were there for more than 4 hours (AM) then lunchtime, then back to the line with other applicants who stayed there until 4 pm. We were like martyrs standing up for 8 hours until we reached the gate of that company. I was already dizzy and tired when the security guard announced in his megaphone that "he will give us the cards with numbers and if we're all interested to come back for the next batch tomorrow then be there at the time designated for our group. Shocking! I just couldn't believe it. All of us, thousands of enthusiastic applicants were disappointed.

Know what? My friends and classmates decided since we started the martyrdom it's best for us to go back. Nothing to lose. We need to be employed. We need to have experience stated for our resume. Remember we are newly graduates. So we returned on that time period, although my friends and I were separated on different groups. I and 49 other applicants were called in to the examination room with one examiner and two guards as watchers. They gathered our resume. We are called to sit down and relax a bit then the test papers were passed on to us and the first category is IQ test ( 1 to 10 ) time limit is only five minutes. The first question was simple and fill in the blanks _____
1. If you see a man and a woman ___________. I answered "together"and the rest of the 9 questions were actually easy and had it finished within 3 minutes. Then the test papers were returned to the checker then we're called back. From 50 applicants down to 42. Next test is a 10 minute duration. It was Abstract. Same procedure. From 42 we're down to 30. Next test is about English: grammar, fill in the blanks, correct usage of the verb, nouns and pronouns. Fortunately from 30 I was still included in the next batch for Mathematics. This time I was nervous. I don't consider myself being a genius when it comes to Math. Although I must admit I passed my calculus in college with much ease. It's the simple math that I'm having problems with. Yeah crazy me. Nervous but with a time limit of 15 minutes that helped in the process for that 1 to 10 questionnaires. I myself cannot figure out how lucky I am that day. I was one of the ten applicants who remained in our seats and 10 of us are looking at each other. Perspiring and more nerves, anxiety starting to set in. Then we're called one by one to test the "machine." What kind of machine is that? It's a keyboard for telephone operations! You know for telephone operators connecting switches and the many buttons to switch on and off whenever there is long distances or local calls.

There 'ya go. We don't even have telephone at home way back in 1985. we tried to apply for land lines but with millions of applicants to have telephone and millions who already have lines where you think you can connect. I could only laugh at my one of a kind experience. You bet whoever they will have for those "vacancies" are the same people who are already working and have experience in telephone keyboard operations as "operators." So why they advertised? Employers feel there is a need to laid off workers just in case they found insubordination within the workforce and the employers are ever ready to fill up vacancies without resorting to panic.

When I got home from that company my uncle asked me right away what happened. I told him the story and he was a bit apprehensive and in doubt. He told me, " did you not tell her (the manager) that I'm your uncle?" I should eh? You think that would help?

Anyway, sometimes being connected with the "big shots" help boost your morale and helped in landing a "great occupation."