Keep Rolling

I was a bit excited when I heard that this month’s recreation is bowling for it would be my first time and I found out most of us were. I wondered what it would be like. Its eemed easy to roll the ball but to hit the target is another thing. Anyway, thanks to the initiative of the BEC of the month – St. John Neumann’s group, for organizing the activity which was held in NCCC mall last Monday, August 23 2010. The fun started at around 2:00 in the afternoon and lasted for an hour. Together with the students, the senior community joined. Fr. Cruz, Fr. Caloy, Fr. Bebot were present and a confrere from Singapore, one of the students’ spiritual directors, Fr. Vincent was around. Looking back to what had happened, I realized that bowling is not just a game as the recreation was not just for fun but a lesson to be appreciated and learned.

It was good to see everybody enjoying, playing with enthusiasm and passion. Moreover, it is even better to notice the way the community behaved. I tried to be observant not for the sake of making an essay for the blog, of course I didn’t know I was going to (ha-ha,) but rather to be more appreciative of the community where I belong. After the game, I realized how vital it is to feel at home in the community for only then when you can express and develop yourself. Isn’t it good to be who you are and everybody accepts you no matter what. Besides you can only mature when you are yourself, free and vulnerable.

Remembering the ball on my hand, feeling its heaviness and trying to manipulate it to hit the pins on the end side, I was drawn into a reflection. I asked myself, “What or who keeps me going like the ball which was driven by a force?” I went farther in asking, “Who holds me in the first place like the ball?” Taking figuratively the image of bowling, it seemed that the one who holds the ball has his/her purpose at the beginning of the game– to make a strike or if not a spare. No one would have wanted a canal unless he/she desired I guess. The truth is the holder would aim for a good strike always.

Moreover, the more accurate and harder the ball hit the pins the greater the possibility of a strike. Glancing around,it was noticeable when anybody had a strike there were yells and cheers. Indeed, you are happy when you did a strike. Isn’t it what life is about? - Being happy. And isn’t happiness is like when you had a strike as you intended. What keeps us going, anyway? - A desire to be happy? But, before knowing where to go, would it be best to know who holds it and what’s his/her intention is?I guesshappiness lies in understanding who we are and where we come from. It is a rather difficult to unravel but the journey would provideanswers. It is as if asking, “What keeps us to love?” And only when you love that the answer is found. One face of life is about the experience of meanings.

Life is not about the destination, but the journey. The journey might lead us to various paths which may not be a straight line and a smooth floor like of the bowling court and many canals may be around yet still we are hopeful that amidst those adversities we will get a strike. We are even luckier, for we journey within a network of relationship – a community that loves us, unlike the ball rolling alone. Canals and low scores cannot hinder us to stop trying again and again for each second or later attempt is another phase of opportunity and gained strength. Our greatest defeat is to deny ourselves of another opportunity and quit. So, keep rolling!

(Danilo)