Reflection: Footnote to Youth

Here is one of the reflections so as it is related to the story "Footnote to Youth" by Jose Garcia-Villa.

REFLECTION PAPER

            “Maybe the question was not to be answered. It must be so to make youth Youth.” from Footnote to Youth.

            Converting one’s thoughts and ideas into words is not an easy thing to do. If it is not that difficult, there would still be a problem of accuracy in terms of putting into words precisely the things you wish to express. Moreover, effectively reflecting one’s thoughts and beliefs unto something like a literary artwork depends upon the scope of our experiences. When the experiences of a person comprise a large scope, the less difficult it is for him to reflect. Upon receiving this task, a question of my scope of experience came in, giving me difficulties in composing my reflection paper. To address this problem, the short stories are carefully read, putting myself in the shoes of every character and at the same time identifying which among them would be of great interest to me with respect to my beliefs and experiences.

            Along the process of selecting the lines, I found myself at the situation when Dodong desired to have life’s questions answered. On a certain part of that story, Dodong became tired and weary with the difficulties he faced and all he could do is to ask “why?” The life of Dodong and the mindset he has reflects that of a typical teenager-adult which I could most likely relate to, making this line appealing to my senses. Teenagers or the people in general face different problems. At a certain point in time, we get tired and weary, we ask the same question “Why?”, we seek the same wisdom to answer our questions. This common experience of youth led me to choosing Footnote to Youth, specifically Dodong’s experience as the point of my reflection.

            As a student and a teenager, I have faced a lot of problems which I regret - problems which led to unanswered questions. Like Dodong, I am denied of its answer. Why do innocent children need to suffer from the wrongs of their parents? Having been denied the wisdom to answer the questions of life, I got tired and weary. But that line offered something else, something promising. Maybe these questions are not meant to be answered…no, not now. This is how life is, this is how youth is…we get to know the answer through time and experience.

            We always try to cope up with life’s demands. Feel the pain, get tired and weary, but that is how life is. The difficult part is that we always get denied of the answers to life’s questions. But no matter how many times we fail to get that answer, later on life itself will grant it to us – that is how life is…it must be dreamfully sweet.

~ Written by
BUSTALIÑO, Jay C.

The book's cover. Source: https://iam1stepahead.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/114448.jpg

 "Life's indeed very hard. But it is for us to decide our destiny" - The Pitzviews.

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