Fr. Bel R San Luis, S V D
THE true story below illustrates beautifully the importance of education and earning a degree. Likewise, leading a moral life is crucial to achieving one’s goal. This is a reminder to all students who have returned to school.
Brothers Michael and Chris were both born in the early 1960s and grew up in a mostly black neighborhood in Richmond, California, right outside of San Francisco.
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Both boys were well behaved in school and brought home mostly A’s on their report cards all through grade school.
But coming from a working class family with eight children, money was always tight, so the boys often had to go without. In fact, things were so tight, the two growing boys were often hungry.
So they resorted to stealing. From the time they were five until they were well out of high school, the boys stole. They stole crackers from the cupboard in the middle of the night; they stole cookies from the grocery store. They even stole money from their parents.
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It was during high school that something happened which made Chris decide to change his behavior. At the end of his freshman year in high school, Chris had received three A’s and three F’s on his report card – the first time he had failed anything in school.
Because the school only allowed three failures over four years, one more F and Chris would be kicked out. That’s when he made up his mind to change. Years later Chris would recall that defining moment in his life with these words:
"I sat outside my house at the beginning of that summer knowing that I was letting my chance slip away. One more F and I’d be just another high school dropout, hanging around the neighborhood.
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Chris’ decision to change his behavior wasn’t an easy one. It took a lot of guts in choosing to leave his friends or excel in school. But that decision to change took him in an entirely different direction from his brother Michael, who resisted changing his unproductive behavior.
Chris went on to graduate from high school – graduate from college – and graduate from law school. For 15 years he worked as a Deputy District Attorney in Los Angeles, California, prosecuting murderers, drug dealers, gang members and crooked cops.
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Today Chris is better known as Christopher Darden, one of the lead prosecutors in the trial of the century, the O. J. Simpson trial!
What became of Michael, Christopher’s brother? After high school Michael joined the army and returned to his hometown shortly after his tour of duty.
Back in Richmond, Michael continued his pattern of anti-social behavior – hustling in the streets ... and stealing to support himself and a growing drug habit. On November 29, 1995, Michael Darden died at the age of 42 – from AIDS.
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MORAL? We can choose to get better ... or bitter. Christopher Darden changed. He changed from being a criminal ... to prosecuting criminals. He changed from an underachiever ... to an honor student who took responsibility for his grades and his education.
His brother Michael, on the other hand, was changed. He was changed by the code of the streets. He was changed by illegal drugs, and finally, he was changed by an insidious disease.
You can choose to be a Christopher whom your family will be proud of. Or to be a Michael who brought shame to his family.
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THE LIGHTER SIDE. TIGER WOODS. While on a business trip to India, a black American executive took some time off to play golf. He was playing particularly well when he noticed a group of locals watching him. They were jumping up and down and yelling "Tiger Woods!"
Taking this as a compliment to his golfing skills, he turned and bowed ostentatiously in their direction. It was at this point a tiger charged out of the woods and ate him!
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A Filipino man visits his Chinese friend dying in the hospital. The Chinese said: "Di ta guae yong khee" and dies. The man asked a FilipinoChinese what was the meaning of his friend’s last words.
To his consternation, they meant "Huwag mong apakan ang oxygen ko!" (Don’t step on my oxygen!).
Moral? Give understandable orders.
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GOD BLESS — following latest donors to "Adopt a Seminarian" scholarship program: Ruth RIVERA, San Fernando, Pampanga; Councilor Tomas-Beth CARVAJAL, San Juan, MM; Carmencita O. GARCIA & Partners, CPA’s; Anonymous of Marulas,Valenzuela City; Carmina ORTEGA, Makati City; RIVERO Family.
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Others who want to help our poor seminarians may make their donations payable to "Adopt a Seminarian" scholarship program c/o Fr. Bel San Luis, SVD, Christ the King Seminary, 1101 E. Rodriguez Blvd., Quezon City.
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Or, they can send ONLINE to Adopt a Seminarian bank account # 22-0054-428 through any branch of Banco De Oro or BPI account # 0253-3655-79.
Call up cell phone # (0917)8547584 for confirmation of your donation.
For inquiries, call tel: 7265002(04) or 723-3343. E-mail: belsvd@skyinet.net
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