Experiences that made me what I am today.(ESSAY)

The dictionary defines experience as an observation of or participation in events resulting in or tending toward knowledge. I would like to believe that I am an ordinary teenager who has had her share of the usual experiences growing girls have gone through.As a young child, my mother enrolled me in voice lessons and later I joined a musical theater group. I have participated in stage plays and later, joined a school dance group(Icarus) which represented our school in various dancing competitions. All those experiences and exposures, I would say, definitely helped developed whatever talents and aptitude I have have and greatly improved my self-confidence. I have learned to control the usual nervousness and jitters whenever I am ask to render a song or partake in programs that require my stage presence. I believe these experiences not only insfilled confidence but even developed the poise required not only for program participations but more importantly, in the manner I handle myself in everyday life.

I would later learn from my parents that after all,part of my growing up experiences were not your usual stuff for little children. In December 1989, my father who was then a captain in the Philippine Army was involved in the military rebellion that almost toppled the Aquino government. For his convictions and principles, he was detained for almost 3 years after that. when I was born in March 1, 1991,my father was in jail. As a baby, I actually grew up in jail with my dad because my mother had to work. Maybe this explains why I am very close(papa's girl) to my dad because we actually spent time together in jail. My father was released from detention in late 1992 and went back to serve in the Philippine Army.

My Dad is not only a principled and strong-willed officer but he is also a very intelligent person and a good tutor. He was a PMA entrance exam topnotcher and topped the qualifying exam for West Point where he graduated in 1978. As a student, I learned so much from him whenever he tutored me for Math and English Lesson not to mention science and social studies. These experiences helped insfilled in me the value of learning and the attitude to strive for excellence.

My dad eventually got promoted to Brigadier General as commander of the Army's elite First Scout Ranger Regiment. In February of 2006, he was suspected to be the leader of a group of military men in an alleged Coup to topple the Arroyo administration. He was charged for mutiny in a General Court Martial and is presently detained in Camp Capinpin, Tanay, Rizal. This ongoing experience is the most difficult for the whole family especially for my mom. Initially, I had very mixed reactions about Dad's detention. I was confused,angry, and mad at the people who ordered him arrested. Later, I would realized that my Dad is a person with a strong personality and convictions. He knew the consequences of his actions and is willing to pay the price to make his dreams come true. Whatever he did was not for himself but for others. I remember him always admonishing the members of the family that one has to stand up and be counted in the struggle for the truth. Nowadays, my mom and I only get to visit him on weekends. It's not only difficult but also tiring and inconvenient for us driving 2 hours before we could see him. But my Dad remains strong and unbowed and this has rubbed off to mom and me. Our family has become not only stronger but also closer out of this difficult trials. Above all, the love that we have for each member of the family is stronger because of what we're going through. I believe in my Dad and Mom when they tell me that all of these will come to pass. I look forward to my Dad's release from detention and my mom and I will always be behind him in his quest for truth and justice.