HOPELESS NOEL

kuya NOEL, 35 years old, FRESH GRADUATE of a 2-year assistance in computer programming course in a scratch university here in Tacloban.

while heading home, KUYA NOEL, my father's friend, called me and asked to drink for a glass of beer with 4 colleagues. with all my respect, i granted his offer. he announced to us that he had his diploma from a 2-year course last April 9, and this is supposed to be a post celebration.

he is almost living alone and his family in Batangas has a more depressing situation. he graduated high school and went to school no more because of financial instability. their parents opted to pursue his elder sisters college degree and him later on but unfortunately his sister went on to settling down, got married and never returned school again.

his parents were doomed from different borrowings and loans for his sisters studies which went to marrying and raising her own family.

Kuya NOEL, decided to go to MANILA and different places just for survival and sends financial assistance for his parents. after 12 years, he went in to Tacloban and met our family.

my MAMANG's brother JOSE, a pure BATANGUENO helped Kuya NOEL and accepted him in their house. he served there as a housekeeper from the 8-room boarding house. and we gained trust in him.

KUYA NOEL even served the PARISH in different ways that he could.

BLESSINGS went in, when the parish priest gave him a good news that someone granted him a scholarship at Juan Enano-Manuel Computer College (not the exact name of the school), the allowance, the uniform and even the books.

when he offered me TOSS and CHEERS on the beer the he served, he told me, i am HAPPY yet HOPELESS!! i don't know what's next.. im old, and not that competent.

i remained silent, after that drink, i greeted him and went home.

FROGGY'S INSIGHT:

did KUYA NOEL had a worthless education? are all his studies ready to be dumped with the trash and remain a housekeeper forever?

if i am to rewind what happened, i will not go home silent, but rather encourage him to find a job. i must've told him:

in real world: it's the PERSONALITY that counts, not good grades, not younger age. if i am an employer and seeks for a good employee, i will base it on the personality, the way he talks, the way he acts, and all the humbleness and good deeds he could show me upon our first conversation.

he could insist that he could do what the younger people could do and willing to accept different kind of jobs; i should have told him also to embrace his PERSONALITY with 101% of confidence; trust, loyalty and fear.

anyway, i could still share it to him anytime we'll meet again.