The Virtual Reunion held last August 24, 2020 (PST) revealed several realizations.
The first is that, after all these years, we still haven’t shed our habit, a bad habit called “Filipino Time”. The original schedule was slated at 9:00 AM (PST), but requested by Ringkoy to be moved earlier to 8:30 AM to accommodate the expected late comers and the anticipated technical glitches. Well, guess what? As we are wont to do, we still ended up starting at 9:30 AM. So much for accommodation. We’ll just have to accept that we are in fact Filipinos and should just be happy about it.
The second realization is that, the length of time that one spent with the batch does not always result into closer ties with the members. There were some who spent 4 or more years with the batch but remained out of touch. While others, who only spent a few years, mahinangup when they see their former classmates. The depth of one's experience in IHMS is a better predictor of future ties and not always the length of time.
The third realization is that our batch has a tremendous sense of voluntarism. This is probably the most salient characteristic of our class. We do not run out of volunteers to do the work that needs to be done. Baloy and ArnCes voluntereed to go with Juntabs to the Albur orphanage to hand over our donations. Rene volunteered to fund the initial deposit to open a bank account. Ringkoy volunteered his unlimited Zoom account and volunteered to be a member of the committee. Jecebu, after suggesting the mask instead of the t-shirt for our anniversary souvenir, volunteered to send money right away to start the production run. Juntabs volunteered to be the Treasurer; he also volunteered to be the Vice-Chairman. Soc was volunteered by Nox and readily accepted to be the Chairman. While some would call this alig-aligon—or sometimes derisively hari-harion—we never see it in the negative light but instead refer to it as the undying spirit of voluntarism.
The fourth realization is that the batch has a contagious sense of optimism. When an idea is proposed, no matter how outlandish it may appear to be at the onset, it doesn’t get trashed right away but rather munched and regurgitated, considered and debated. Divergent views are given. One idea is preferred over the other without junking the first one, and what follows after is the go-go-go, can-do, let’s-just-do-it attitude.
The fifth realization is that our batch is not afraid to make mistakes. In fact, we failed miserably in some of our projects. Those failures never defined us. Instead, we made fun of them—remember the Baboga Sinking Fund?—and even tried to learn lessons from them.
The sixth realization is that our batch has remained idealistic and restless in envisioning a dream for ourselves and for others. So many projects have been conceived and implemented in high school, in college and even the years after IHMS.
Finally, as we launched another ambitious initiative during the Ruby Jubilee virtual reunion, there is that ever nagging possibility that our dream to financially support a Theology student starting next school year can go either way. It can fail like before. Or, it can succeed. Who knows? But the one realization that can be gleaned from all of these is that—our batch has the experience and the collective character to pull this off. (nox arcamo)
