A Space Beyond the Limits of the World

                        

            As defined in class, public sphere is a space where the exchanges of views on a particular topic are discussed and all opinions are considered legitimate. In my own perspective, this is vital to keep the balance in a society. There cannot just be one accepted view as regards to a certain topic, because we human beings have different understandings and assessments towards things. Most especially considering the fact that we are in a very complex world wherein almost every corner of the street would have different views over things.

           

            A public sphere can be found up to the extent of the opposing poles or even in the simplest household. A good example of a public sphere takes place in peace talks between two opposing groups in the midst of a war. In the middle of a battlefield, your side is supposed to do anything in order to end up victorious, which usually meanings killing the soldiers of the enemy. In peace talks, however, there is temporary restrain from firing bullets to the enemy. A mutual understanding is present between the two forces. In the peace talk, both sides are given the chance to express and negotiate whatever they wish, and the other must allow them to be able to convey it freely. The public sphere plays a vital role here because it allows opposing groups to negotiate freely without the need of bloodshed. It allows a balance between the two parties. Without the public sphere then the world will just be one sided, without opinions being accepted freely

            In every day life, we can see a public sphere present when we students talk about a certain teacher outside the classroom. Such place may be in jsec, in the library, or any area where the discussion may occur. I see this as something important because it enables us students to comment about our teacher and find ways that would help us get along with the teacher and understand the lesson more effectively.

            This aspect of life is more often than not taken for granted in a sense that people experience it everyday, but fail to realize it’s importance or even do not know that it is called a public sphere. These things are what make me appreciate our communication class because it opens me to see life in a new perspective of life being able to see the importance of everything we do. 

Stepping Out of My Restrictions

 Some people live in their own cages, preventing them from seeing and experiencing life to its fullest. People are stuck in their comfort zones not because they have chosen such but the environment which that are found in prevents them from ceasing the chance and opportunity to see the beauty of life in other aspects.

Cultivation theory talks about the stereotypes that people have because of prolonged exposure to the media. Media would put into our heads things that aren't actually the truth. Because of the media, you would probably look at riding the MRT or LRT on a deceiving way. You would probably think that the stations would smell awfully bad, or the people would seem all dangerous in your eyes, or that it is not convenient at all, or probably that it is the means of transportation of lower class citizens. Well, this is what cultivation theory does if you are so restricted to your area of comfort. The Ateneans we are, inclines us to be naive about the reality of life because frankly speaking, Ateneo is probably the most comfortable school to study college in here in the Philippines. It's like having an own barangay inside the premises of Ateneo.

At the cusp of who i am, i have decided to step out of the restrictions of my home, and the restrictions of Ateneo. I have started to commute, even if my grandmother would be very much frightened to hear about this. Recently i have been taking the LRT often because it is cheaper, and it saves me time. Do the stations smell awfully bad? Well, even when walking along katipunan or inside Ateneo, you cannot avoid but allow your nose to smell whatever comes your way. Dangerous? Its dangerous every where, you just have to learn how to be aware and take caution. In fact, if it were that dangerous then why do thousands and thousands of people still ride the LRT OF MRT. Not convenient? Like i said, it saves time and money. Try visiting your friends in taft driving a car and then try taking the LRT. It may be crowded but its much faster, and less tiring. Riding the LRT made be realize some things, but what struck me most was how the people inside the train are. Despite how crowded the train may be, no one was complaining, everyone would make room for other people and they were surprisingly friendly. Some people might be irritable because of a long day, but there are still many who are still polite and still practice common courtesy. As crowded as it was, people would still chatter and crack jokes causing a spark of laughter. People would talk to you randomly when they see you are new to such experience. One girl saw how i was a little uneasy because of how crowded it was and she smiled at me saying, "hindi pa yan masyadong masikip." and laughed.

My point is that the media us not always right. They may be the structure of the beliefs of people, but they are not always right. To see truth about life, we should learn how to step our of our comfort zones and experiences things first hand.

Everyone has a Calling

           Organizational culture is the set of beliefs, values, practices, way of doing things a certain group of people under an organization follow. An organization can vary from big ones and small ones, but no matter what size organizational culture unifies how the people in the group behave. Such aspect of an organization is what creates camaraderie among employees. As much as culture is present in every organization, people carry certain roles and some how live life as if it were a theatrical performance. Just as i talked about in one of my past blogs, we might be part of a play up in heaven.

           In life, we all play different roles depending on who we are and what we choose to do. We have teachers because they enjoy sharing their knowledge and teaching such to students. Policemen risk their lives to everyday because they have a sense of nationalism within them and what to contribute in promoting peace and order among citizens. We have priests because they have answered God's call to preach what is written in the gospel. Each and every individual has a role in this world and it is up to them to find out what they are called to do.

           It has been very Filipino for the eldest son to be the father figure whenever the father is not around. We use to term, "kuya" to show our respect to siblings or even people who are older than us. If you take a look at american families, you will never see younger siblings calling their older siblings such words to show respect. In my family for instance, i am the eldest son and the eldest grandchild for that matter. I serve as a role model for all my younger cousins, and they all follow the way i dress up, the sports i play, the way i talk, etc. I always watch the way i act because i know a lot look up on me. As for my sisters, i play a bigger role because my father left when i was in grade one. Since then, i have served as the father figure to my younger sisters. When my sisters have problems they run to me for comfort or for advice. This has done me well in a way because it has made me grow up into a mature young man. It's as if we are all part of a play and we all have distinct roles, but unlike plays our actions affect lives of others.

           Finding out roles in this world does not always come easy, sometimes it comes in a way least expected, and that least expected way may be a blessing in disguise.
        

Old Things Still Come in Handy

            Imagine a world with no cellphones and computers. Imagine having to contact your girlfriend or boyfriend through a pager. A pager isn’t as convenient as a cellphone, mind you. You would have to call the operator and say your message to the operator and then the operator will deliver your message to the other person. It isn’t as simultaneous as how we can now hold a conversation over the phone or simply send a text message and expect a response in a matter of seconds. Wouldn’t it be weird to call an operator and say, “goodnight baby I love you!” or “I’m mad at you!” and here snickers at the background then have the operator deliver that message to your girlfriend’s pager? What if you’re a photographer for a wedding and a fortuitous event occurred while you were on the road going to the church, how will you let the organizers know that you won’t be able to come?

            Setting technology’s role in communication aside, technology has made life easier in almost every aspect. Machines have made production more efficient and effective. Hundreds or even thousands of water bottles are packaged in no time because of the machinery used for mass production. Go to a Krispy Kreme branch and watch how the donuts are made; you’ll see how amazing machines are and how it brings forth convenience in our lives.

            Technology, especially in communication does not choose class in social structures. As sad as it may be, it is evident that there is a big gap between the rich and the poor, but in this case, both benefit from the technology used for communication. Even if the majority have a hard time sustaining life and feeding their families, it would be very rare to someone in the mall or even any ordinary worker without a cellphone.

            Whenever, I take part in an outreach program, I start the day with a heavy heart, not because I don’t want to reach out to the less fortunate, but because it saddens me that I will not be able to communicate with them after that day. During third year high school, my class had an interaction with the prisoners of bilibid prison. It frightened me at the beginning, but when I got to meet my partner, my stereotypical views towards prisoners changed dramatically. They are friendly people, its just that sometimes the hardships poor people face take away their presence of mind and blue their chances of thinking right.  I got attached to my partner and I felt down when we had to go because it’s not like I will be able to text him or chat with him again. This is where the importance of “primitive” things comes in. Even if we cannot contact through the use of a phone or a computer, there is always an alternative, which is writing letters. After that day, I continuously sent him letters and he wrote back as I gave the address of Xavier School and they would hand it to me. This classic form of communicating allows us to communicate with people who to not have the chance to use the technology we have today just like people in prison. Even if I am a frequent user of the cellphone and the computer, I do not fail to appreciate how important writing letters were and are still as of today. As important as technology’s role in communication may be, we should never take for granted the old way of doing things, because without such, we would not have been able to make the leap to where we are today.