Monday, January 28, 2008

The Spitter's Seven Stories

The Spitter was into a lot of mischief as a child. In kindergarten, he opted for buttoned shorts versus the gartered type and proceeded to pull down the shorts of classmates when they stood up to recite. The teacher made a rule that the unruly ones would be seated with the girls, and every boy squirmed. The Spitter continued his mischief, then sat himself immediately beside the girl he had a fancy for. He also bet against a classmate that he could climb the top of the flag pole. He did, but got too scared to go down that the school was forced to call the fire department.

In high school, (run by catholic priests) the Spitter earned a reputation as a heretic. First,
he questioned the subject title Religion because it taught only Catholicism and suggested to call it as such. He questioned the teaching on bigotry by citing the priest's claim that the "Roman Catholic Religion is the only true religion", which he correctly noted was bigotry. The biggest "sin" he committed was questioning the improbability of being a 'Virgin" and a "Mother" at the same time, saying you're either one or the other. Also in high school, he hid during a fire drill, and when all the students were being counted where the teachers realized one was missing, he appears from the top floor shouting "Help, Help, Save Me", to the delight of all the students and to the consternation of the priests.

The last 2 years of High School till the first 2 years of College, he joined a band. It was a rock and roll band that played for fun, party gigs and to impress the girls. Popular tunes were played until the Beatles, Beachboys Rolling stones and other liverpool beats entered the scene. The band played up until the arrival of the more sophisticated groups like Led Zeppelin, Eagles, Queen, and KISS. No records were ever made except records for rowdiness perhaps and use of exotic substances.

In his last 2 years of College, the Spitter was intensely aware of the inequities in society. He joined organizations and movements that educated the masses, spearheaded class struggles, to the extent of going against and being outcast by his own class; joined protest marches and battled with the police and the military. In his last semester in College, martial law was declared and he was arrested and tortured a bit until his release 10 months later.

After College, his father asked him to try the corporate milieu. The Spitter had enough savvy and within seven years made it to the top level position of a European multi-national firm, tasked to take charge of the Asia-Pacific region. His career success and the financial rewards gave him a sense of accomplishment until he saw what it really meant. The success was founded on the exploitation of others, provision of hardships and difficulties to many marginalized sectors, and the insatiable greed of those whose intent was to make money, not friends; to drain the resources of wealth, not to give anything of value. At the top of his company and at the height of his career, the Spitter turned his back and quit.

The Spitter found his home in a Development Foundation. The institution was involved in countryside development and here he knew instantly that the path he took in his last 2 years of college would find new directions; away from confrontational struggle, and into developmental initiatives. He organized communities in rural and urban sectors, provided training in product development, technical applications, marketing, business operations, and poured everything he knew. He organized livelihood programs, created community products, worked on financing, and then professionalizing operations so these could be linked to mainstream markets. This was done with farmers, rural folks, urban folks, fisher folks, and other marginalized sectors as a way of atonement, perhaps. Little did he realize that in giving all he knew, he would receive more knowledge, more discernment, more enrichment, and more respect and admiration than he ever imagined he would get in a pretentious corporate setting.

Without looking back in anger, nor forward with fear, the Spitter moved to areas in education, environment and humanitarian concerns. Though accomplishments have been many, failed attempts remain a challenge, successful ones an inspiration. In every endeavor, finding the fun is a constant, learning is a staple, and happiness is the result. By the standards of society in general, success has been achieved by the Spitter; but he does not subscribe to their measure of material acquisition as a method of rating success. To him, it is within. It cannot be valuated by power, wealth, influence or property; but by the intangible values accumulated in the process of doing what you find fulfilling and meaningful. It is not in what you take from this world that translates as success to the Spitter, but it is in what you give back to this world to make it richer and better for others.

Looking at his present regional location, the world in general, and the current situation these are in, the Spitter realizes he has to give more, or he hasn't given enough.

Haaarrrwwwk...Twoooooph...Ting!

9 comments:

ozegold said...

Hey Durano, that was great... and I thought that I was a rebel in my anti Vietnam war stance here!

Class is much less an issue here in Australia, I guess largely because the country is so young in comparison.

Well done, it provides a great insight to the person behind the blog....

Cheers!

angesbiz said...

Hey Durano!! What a sensational list you have made and what a rebel you were/are :) It's good to know this as I have a rebellious side too!

Questioning religion and especially Catholicism in a Catholic school would have been a hoot! I love it and keep it coming. I bet you have some more interesting stories to tell ;)

Thanks for taking part in this.

durano lawayan a.k.a. brad spit said...

Hi Allan,

The class referred to are economic social divisions. I guess i had been a rebel since I was very young because I just could not accept a restriction without it being first explained to me.

There is a rebel in everyone, some reach that point earlier than others, but get there just the same. Some opt to control the rush to rebellion, and find more acceptable means.

There are those who occasionally find delight in doing something a little lawless, and I guess a lot of folks are guilty of this. :-)

Thanks for the comment and the support. --Durano, done!

durano lawayan a.k.a. brad spit said...

Hi Ange,

So many stories and so many escapades that makes life rich and adventurous. I'm just happy that I've learned a lot from it and could still draw lessons from these.

In some trainings I conduct, I sometimes tell the stories like it was this friend or that friend who was involved; because I want to show them an example and I don't want them to get the wrong notion about me and part of my past, as there is no time to explain.

It was a pleasure taking part and a privileged to have been challenged. But I'll remind Allan, he owes me one! :-) --Durano, done!

Kim said...

ahh the joys of youth...Durano
what a fascinating story !!
I imagine that you gave your teachers a run for their money...
it seems your life has been rich and varied with many different roads travelled...
arrested...10 months....and torture...I imagine that would be a story in itself.....

it's amazing the older we get the simpler things can be....

durano lawayan a.k.a. brad spit said...

Kim,

Stories told are experiences re-lived. I have told them in a sweeping manner to focus on the values obtained from it and not the horrors that went with it.

You're right about certain parts that are stories in themselves, as well as the many funny and pleasant escapades that transpired in my teen years. Those that took place during my Foundation involvement years are whole chapters too and continues to this day.

Youth was a period when anything was possible and everything could be done, prevented only by the ugliness of force and the irrationality of violence. But nothing in their arsenal could break the spirit of anyone who stood for valuing humanity.

My teachers at the time were struck by the research I did on the subjects, and considered my abilities wasted. Whenever we have High School reunions, I am still, fondly I hope, tagged as the heretic. My classmates always refer to the mischiefs as those that define my being. But those I have been involved with professionally rate me differently.

Anyway, enough of me. How is the portrait coming along? The laundry can go hang!:-) --Durano, done!

indicaspecies said...

Drab Spit
That was interesting. :)

durano lawayan a.k.a. brad spit said...

Hi Indicaspecies,

I didn't expect you to be looking at the bottom of the page! :-)

Every life is interesting and everyone has a story. It's what we go through and how we cope and survive as human beings and citizens of this planet, that connect us to one another.

Understanding, acceptance, and tolerance, are the elements that would unite the world. Sadly, there's very little of these. :-)--Durano, done!

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