P.S. Names are based from... you guessed it right, my gm group... except for John though, who is the brother-in-law of.... XD
Joseph was your
typical and average grade 7 student. His mother was a teacher and his father
was an engineer. He was raised in a very
strict, religious and well-educated family but this did not hinder him from
going outside and playing with friends. He was a friendly boy and made
acquaintance with almost all of the children in his neighborhood. He usually
plays with them if his parents were out at work. He had four close friends whom
he usually plays with every day: Marion, Marie, John and April.
All five of them were
inseparable as a group even during their elementary and intermediate years.
They always group together in projects and other sporty group activities. Even
dealing with intolerable bullies in their school, they were always united and
don’t usually disagree on things, until they reached high school.
Grade 7 was the
beginning of their sleepless nights and stressful years. This was the time
where each of them started to discover their interests and desires. This period
was when simple attraction and infatuation started to form, increased
understanding of their identity surfaces, and desire of wanting to fit in and
be part of a very popular group. At first, this never affected their group of
friends until Joseph decided to enter the supreme student government as the
grade 7 class representative and became the class president.
His friends were very
supportive of him and his ideas. Despite of Joseph’s many responsibilities,
they were still able to work together as a team just like they did during their
younger years. But as days passed, school has been really stressful because
they became loaded with projects and they were beginning to argue a lot because
their ideas didn't start to coincide. Marie became really bossy to get the
projects done on time; Joseph was caught up with every day meetings with the
supreme student government. Marion and John became busy with basketball
practices, while April got caught on late night cheer leading practices. They
spent less time with each other because of different responsibilities.
One day, Joseph
was assigned by the student government to head a certain school activity that
required so much preparation in three months time. He approached his friends
saying, “Guys, I need your help.” “What is it?” Marie asked. “It’s a huge
project. The student government is planning to hold a theater production as a
fund raiser for the school’s foundation day. I was thinking if you could help
me with the preparations in three months time.” He told them. “Three months?
It’s not even enough to plan for such a huge production!” April exclaimed.
“That is quite impossible to do. For such a production and thinking of the
cost, that requires at least six months to prepare!” “I agree with April,” John
said. “It really wouldn't be successful,
practically speaking.” “That’s why I needed your help.” Joseph pleaded. “If we
work hand in hand with this, it will be. I couldn't do this alone.” “But three
months? Be realistic Joseph. How are you going to push through with all your
plans in three months? We don’t have the resources; we don’t have the budget
for such a huge production. And we have got school projects to think about. We
just don’t have much time.” Marie stated. “John and I have basketball practice.”
Marion said. “I have choir practices and other priorities too.” April said.
Joseph felt really disappointed that he wasn't getting the support he got from
his friends.
With the
disappointment, he felt hopeless. The friends who once supported him turned him
down. He didn't know what to do. He got home, rested on his bed and released
all the tension he could when his father came in. “What’s wrong son?” he asked.
Joseph sat up and sighed, “Nothing dad.” “I can see it isn't nothing, Joseph.”
His dad told him. Seeing how much his dad was concerned, he opened up to him
regarding his plans for the production and that he needed the help of his
friends and he wasn't getting any. His dad then said, “I can see that it is
such a huge and difficult production, and it is very big, but it isn't
impossible.” “I know. I hope they could see that.” Joseph told him. His dad
smiled and shared, “You know, son. I've been there once. That feeling hopeless
because no one would help out. I really felt down and felt about to give up. I
felt exactly how you felt. Did exactly what you had done. I went to my room,
locked myself up and cried and poured out all the negativity in the air. Then
my dad, your grandfather, came in and gave me the best advice that I needed at
the time.” “What was that?” Joseph asked, “Pray. And I did. From that point on,
I never felt alone. And that I was thinking everything in such a wrong way. I
was so focused on wanting people to help me that I didn't see my own
potentials. I didn't see myself; I didn't see what I was capable of doing. Then
I asked myself, how can I expect others to help me if I couldn't help myself?
And why am I even doing this in the first place? It is not about how do you do it;
it is about why you are doing it.” His father continued and smiled. This made
Joseph ponder on what his dad had said and smiled. “Thanks dad, I feel better
now.”
The following
days, Joseph didn't immediately talk to his friends but did what he could do
for the production. He planned and exercised his plans to the fullest of his
capabilities. He managed his time. He
started asking and approaching the people that he knew were necessary to make
such a production successful at a lower cost. Seeing the progress of the
production, Joseph felt proud of his work and his friends decided to help out
through the entire production. “Joseph, we’re sorry we didn't support you and
your ideas at first. We were very negative about it. We turned you down when
you needed us the most.” They apologized. Joseph smiled, “its okay. I realized
that I was focusing on the wrong side of things. Before you think of how you
are going to do something, pause and ask yourself why you are even doing it.”