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.