The tassel is worth the hassle.
Congratulations and kudos will be the very famous lines in social media and the entire Philippines in the next few days.
Why? It's graduation season. Togas, bouquets and parties will be everywhere.
As a sixth grader moves into the life of high school, as a high school student moves into an entire new world of college, and as college graduates have a taste of real life in the unemployed world, one thing is common in all these instances, there is that sense of temporary happiness, of success, of relief and of uncertainty.
Happiness is only temporary because after marching for a final time in that auditorium, it is overshadowed by the level of uncertainty a graduate has of what is to come after. As a new chapter unfolds, we become oblivious of what path to take. We become clueless for a moment of what we want to be in the future. I know it is weird to say that because we always had dreams and ambition, but when it is bombarded at you, it's like this very bright, luminous light that stuns you.
I remember my time when it was nearing graduation and we were tasked to take college entrance exams. I had so many plans for myself for college. I wanted to become a chef, a journalist or a dancer, but now, three years later, I am studying political science. What a funny thing life can be. I had always planned my life ahead, but for that moment, I went with my gut and it led to this point in my life. Although I had always questioned my decision, I know I decided on it for a reason. I may not know what it is today, but soon enough, I will find out the purpose of my past decisions.
Go with the flow, plan your life ahead, follow your heart, stick with your mind or just wing it, whatever your decision may be, regret nothing. There are no mistakes in life, just lessons learned. So, when someone asks you what you want to do after your commencement rites, my dear graduates, you won't have to guess, you'll know.
Janine Galang