“Growing old is no cause for hysteria;
the rose bush does not scream when petals
begin to fall.”
Ernesto
and Francisca were deeply in love with each other. They professed their so –
called ‘undying love’ starting seven years before they got married. They spent
seven long years knowing each other’s likes and dislikes. They saw nothing that
would hinder them to get hitched.
They
were deeply in love that a mere sight of one’s roof of the house was enough to
be happy. At that time, Ernesto and Francisca had their respective jobs. They
were not lucrative. But, they loved their jobs. They lived in a very simple
life style.
While
their combined incomes were not enough to buy all their needs, the prices of
prime commodities on the hand continued to rise. But, the prices were not yet
prohibitive compared to prices of today. To them, what was important was that
they loved each other. They saved on housing as they were renting a house. They
lived with their parents. A noted writer by the name of Dr. William Arthur Ward
said:
“ A
house is built with walls and beams;
a
home is built with love and dreams.”
They
were full of love. They were full of dreams. They joked that loving and
dreaming are for free. They did not cost them any money. But, love could not
live with love and dreams alone. While their love was ecstatic, they forgot
what the all- time popular writer William Shakespeare said in his underlying
novel, merchant of Vanice. He said that:
“Love
is blind and lovers cannot see;
their
pretty follies that themselves commit.”
After so many years of married life,
they had four children. The once prosperous community was later deeply
populated. The population as four or five times its original number. While the
government had birth control and family planning programs the Catholic Church
had one. They believed that birth control was a sin and immoral as it kills
unborn child. They clergy obey the church teaching of “GO and multiply” (Later
study says that it did not mean pro-creation, but “Go and multiply” meant
converting pagans to Christianity. Multiply the number of convertion.
There were less jobs. Many were
jobless and prices of prime commodities soared like its population. There were
increase in salary but it was insignificant compared to the purchasing power
oft the peso.
Meanwhile, years went by and the couple had gray hairs. Ernesto was
retired from his job while Francisca has still a couple of years left. They had
less and less money compared to the spiraling prices of prime commodities.
Their seven –year’s study one’s attitudes came to naught. Francisca’s attitude
changed. She was no longer lovable. Her children tagged her silently as the
monster mother. Her attitude toward Ernesto also changed. She believed that the
later was already starting to be senile and useless. She would easily raise her
voice as if Ernesto was her student. William Shakespeare once said:
“Speak
low if you speak love.”
She would force what she wanted
while his ideas were that an old man going senile. She would talk in front of
her children to show how smart she was. Ernesto, on the other hand admitted
that he was already old but not yet senile. In age, there is no going down but
up. Their married life was in danger. Philosopher and writer Robert Louise
Stevension stated that:
“Marriage
is terrifying, but, so cold and forlorn old age.”
They were not poor. Yet, they were
not also rich. Only that sometimes, they had no money. Their income was no
match to the global rise of prices of prime commodities. Ernesto learned a
better lesson. A person can change attitude if his or her morale is low and
weak. The want for money can change one’s attitude. They love money, not money
itself was the roof of evil. A thinker said:
“When
poverty (want of money) comes at the door:
Love
creeps out at the window.”
In his younger age, Ernesto learned
lessons on ages. He learned that age can change one’s attitude; from his study,
he learned that when a man or a woman turns twenty years old and over. It is
time for beginning. By this time, he/ she is a fresh college graduate and had
newly landed on a job. Most people also get married and become parents.
He learned from school that when a
man or a woman turns thirty or over, he or she becomes demanding as it is time
for building a career. At this age, a man or a woman realize how much is to be
done. He or she felt that their children or grandchildren, who themselves turn
thirty years old or over asks for, advise less and less at time that he or she
wanted to give it more and more.
He learned that if a man or a woman
turns forty years of age or over, he / she usually finds out that he / she
should solidify his career. He / she now is middle-aged.
He also learned that id a man or a
woman turn fifty years of age or over, he find out that interesting things
changed, in his/her body and attitudes begin to happen. These changes are
different from the changes during adolescents. He / She is nearing retirement.
He learned that if a man or a woman
turns sixty years or over, his/her career wind down, but not yet senile. Some
old men or women at this age find their mind still sharp.
This is the travail of Ernesto. He
thinks that his wife considers him as senile. He is not. His travail has
connection with his wife winding down.
-end-
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