THE STONE AND I

UNEDITED SAMPLE LITERARY ARTICLE
By Jessica Leal Manalili
IV - Albert Einstein


I was born with hands and feet, meaning I have a mom and a dad. I lived a stereotypical life –
nagging mom, busy dad, quarrelsome brother and noisy neighbors. I achieved good grades, ate sumptuous meals, practiced good manners and had a daily dose of entertainment. I lived a life much too carefree and without pressure. I was happy and contented with what I had then. But then is merely the past, and in a sudden twist of fate, my happy life has become a torment, a burden far too heavy for me to carry.

My parents separated when I was in first year high school. On a cold December morning, the date I cannot remember for I did not want to. My heart, my mind, my whole being was torn. I did not know which would go first: my love for my mom, my love for my dad, my love for my brother or my love for myself. Everything happened so fast, I was carried by the flow of the river. The torrent carried me to nothingness. Puerile and naive, I was, for I thought it was like a horror movie or a fun ride that after all the screaming, everything would be back to normal. I experienced being away from my dad for a long time, I missed him, I really did. Because I could no longer tolerate the suffering, I left my mom and went to live with my dad. Though I quenched the longing for my dad, it was replaced with a longing for my mom. I was confused and I tried to find myself behind all the commotion. I think I forgot who I was then. Against my will, my body acted upon its emotions – I did not mind my failing grades, I did not care for what others thought of me, I lost the respect I had for my parents, I lost the image of integrity I had for myself. Like a stone on a river, moss accumulated on me. I grew sharp, jagged edges. But time heals wounds and the stone is now a rock. Unaffected by how hard the torrent is against its surface, I grew indifferent and immune to what existed. I aged and with that came the development of my mind, my being. I knew I was intelligent and the faith I had in myself helped me conquer my depression. I knew the harsh reality of life – that there were no perfect beings, perfect families and perfect solutions. The problem I have was open-ended, so many probable solutions but no definite cure. I did not look for a cure anymore, I just moved on.

My perspective in life changed. I now know the reality of life for I myself has had a dose of it. Now I no longer look up to those who are carefree and without problems for I know that they missed their chance to learn. We learn something by doing it, but for me I learn something by experiencing it.

I lived my life very much the same way. I still have good grades, sumptuous meals, good manners and a form of entertainment. I was not aware of it, but in the back of my mind, I still hoped for them to reconcile in one way or another, though I knew it was hopeless.

With this experience, I learned how to direct my actions toward a plausible goal. I learned how to trust in myself and work through my problems, knowing that by overcoming it, a better future will be in store for me. I learned how to accept the inevitable truth of how life really is.