Reflections on Relativity

I was fortunate to have the chance to live in different locations. My elementary years were spent in Tuguegarao, high school in Nueva Vizcaya, college in Manila, a one year stint in a fisherfolk community in Calauag, Quezon and then back to Manila. Everywhere, I noticed that people are longing for something other than their place.

People in the province would like to work in Manila to earn higher income. People in Manila would like to live in the province to avoid stress and traffic. It seems to me that people always dream to live a different lifestyle other than their own.

I also noticed that every place has their own social stratification. When I was in high school, I was classified as Special (based on socio-economic background). People who are tagged as Special receive less stipend from the government compared to someone who is a Full Scholar. Then, I felt our family was ahead financially compared to other people in my high school. When I studied in Ateneo, I felt different. People there are far way ahead financially.

Being rich and being poor, I guess then is relative. It will really depend on where you live and who do you compare yourself with. And this is important especially now in the days of social media where we get to see people post their stories in Instagram or Facebook how they are living their lives. If we always see the likes of Liza Soberano, The Rock, or any other celebrity and then compare ourselves with them, I would feel insecure and feel lacking. When in fact, we should not be.

Each of us has a unique experience and each of us has the capacity to be happy where we are. I think it’s a matter of being conscious on what and who to focus on. In the end, the most important things in life can never be compared – faith, family, friendships, health, well-being, personal growth, service to other people, etc.

To live in a certain location means you can experience everything possible in that place. This also means that you will miss out on a lot of things that are not present in your location. That’s okay. Just be present. Our finiteness means that we can never be somewhere else if you are here. It’s okay to miss out on a lot of things. Don’t compare. Where you are is already perfect. Everything is relative.

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