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!