title: A tug of compassion I went to Eastwood yesterday with Joaquin and some of his classmates.
We were sitting down, eating our pizza, when I noticed a lady holding a stack of magazines. She walked towards us with confidence and a mixture of hope, and held up her magazines. The magazines were called 'Jeepney', and its contents were all about the poor people in poverty, the people living in the streets, and people who couldn't afford to buy a decent meal. Turns out, a kind American missionary offered to publish those magazines to make a living. 50% of the money goes to the publishing company for them to make more of the magazines, and the remaining percent goes to the vendor. I felt really bad so I decided to buy 2 magazines. They were decent enough, and an eye-opener. There were 3 vendors, and I felt bad for the other 2 vendors who couldn't seem to sell their product. Turns out, you keep 50% of what you earn. You don't share it with your co-workers. So your job is to sell as much as you can. I wasn't able to buy from the 2 other vendors and I felt really terrible about it. I wanted to help them out, but I didn't have much money. I hope they're doing well. I felt awful when I saw those 3 vendors running after people and trying to convince them to purchase at least one. But as usual, majority of them ignored the sellers and focused on different subjects instead. I read the magazines and it portrayed an economic imbalance. The rich are getting richer, and the poor are getting poorer. There are many changes to be made. What I see now is injustice and inequality. Many people are starving to death, and here we are, ignorant and insensitive to those who are less fortunate then we. I am determined to pursue law, and maybe I can run for public office someday. Forget all my problems and hardships. There're issues bigger than mine, some cannot be fixed. People out there need help. The government is not doing anything, or if they are, they aren't doing their best. Certain ameliorations have to be done, and I am going to start today. I am motivated to study hard and pursue knowledge. I want to serve my country, and maybe someday, there'll be no more homeless people, for they will have houses, jobs, and food. That is my vision, but my mission is to do well in my academics to be able to fulfill that vision. |
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