#4.3: Family or country?

In both novels, Aeneid and Illiad, the main characters, Aeneas and Hector, are being pleaded by their wives not to proceed to fight at the war. Both of their wives, Creusa (wife of Aeneas) and Andromache (wife of Hector), cared for them and they even think of what would happen to their sons if something bad and unexpected things happen to them. Their wives also tried to sway their conscience and decision by telling them of their faith as a widow if ever they would fail and die. They both begged to consider them first.

In the point of views of both Hector and Aeneas, it is hard for them to choose what to prioritize first, is it their family or his own country?. Hector and Aeneas made different decisions. In the Iliad, Hector chose military glory over family life while in the Aeneid, Aeneas chose the safety of his family first and foremost. In the Iliad it is Hector died while his wife Andromache lived and married Helenus and in the Aeneid it is Aeneas who lived while Creusa died.

 As what Creusa and Andromache did, they showed their husbands how much they love them. They don't want their love ones get hurt. They are begging them not to show selfishness but to show love and care. They also show concern and they made their husbands notice how important they are to their wives and sons.

#4.2: Failing is the start of something new.

"We can't really accomplish our goals and succeed at the very first step"

This line means everything to Aeneas especially at his first move of surviving the tragic past. He struggles a lot, just as what a hero and a leader should do. He know that he have the abilities to protect and defend his territory from the destroyers but he's mature enough to accept everything and to flee to other country instead of making revenge even though he really want to. In his journey, he had encountered a bunch of problems on their way. Monsters and mortal enemies had passed them and disturbed their journey. But with the help of her mother, Venus, and his fellow countrymen, they win sometimes and with that, the unity among them become stronger. They also fall down sometimes but in life, it's just so normal. We don't really accomplish any goal at our very first step.

Their unity helped themselves to conquer all of their problems in life. Aeneas, too, became a better hero. Being brave, mature, responsible, obedient, wise, and self reliant are the characteristics of a good leader and a fighter. Aeneas possessed all of these. Having those characteristics helped him to achieve their ultimate victory. They deserve to live in peace and witty because of their perseverance and sacrifices.

Sometimes they win, sometimes they lose. That's life; it is intended to be full of ups and downs for us to become a better person. Failing is not a sign of weakness; it is a proof that you are not afraid to try new things in your life.

#4.1: Everything happens for a reason.

Imagine that you are on your way home and you realized that your hometown was crushed into a million pieces or you found out that it was destroyed, what would you feel? What a nice surprise! take note of the sarcasm. Maybe some would go crazy and be depressed seeing that their hometown was destroyed. I do believe that all of us would feel the same way, but make Aeneas as an exception.

In the case of Aeneas, he just suffered a great lost. To lose your own hometown or your mother land is very tragic and depressing. Some needs comfort for them to ease the pain, but Aeneas himself kept his own pain and learn to be brave to let go of the past. In my opinion, I believe that his decision was correct. He find his way out to forget the past. Yes, it's hard to accept the fact that you lose your hometown, but that was just the first case. At first, we would cry and be depressed, that's alright because crying is one way of letting your feelings be expressed. But sooner or later, we must be brave enough, like Aeneas, to accept everything. Do you think he would found Rome if he just sat around the corner crying? of course not. Everything happens for a reason. His decision of accepting the past is very great because if he didn't let go of the past, he would not found Rome.

Even with the knowledge that Aeneas had a better future than his sad past, it doesn't mean he had easily let go of his tragic past. He loved his hometown, Troy. But little by little, these memories would be just a part of his past, and whether it is good or not, we must thank God for having it since it is one way of making our lives change for the better.

Her enigmatic smile :)

What is a smile for you? Maybe most of us believe that a single smile expresses feelings and it is a very important attire that we should wear every time. But who would ever think that there is something in Mona Lisa's smile?

 

I believe that most of us know this very beautiful artwork of Leonardo da Vinci. It is Mona Lisa, smiling calmly. But, is she really smiling? Some say she is. Some say she isn't. Some believe that her enigmatic smile was just caused by small details. Leonardo da Vinci, they said, must have used a technique called sfumato that blur and shade outlines that results to a beautiful blending. Scientists, using a beam of high energy X-rays, determined how little strokes of brushes and glaze of paint had created the composition.

Upon seeing this artwork, we all see that Mona Lisa is smiling. The secret behind this is her smile is actually blurred in a low frequency pattern. Try not to look directly at her mouth; we can see that her mouth looks cheerful. But if you look at her smile directly, some parts may disappear, like an optical illusion. So with that, no one can never be sure if she's smiling or not.

Do what you want.

"Waaaaaaaaaaaaahh. An 82  grade in Filipino? Ughhhh!. I hate it!" I mumbled as I walked alone from school. A while ago, our teacher gave us our cards. I am satisfied and contented with my grades except for one subject, Filipino. In our school, the passing grade for minor subjects is 83, and its a great loss if you didn't comply with that grade.

While I'm walking and heading home, I passed by a park. I think of staying and have fun there first before going home because I know that my mom will kill me if she knew that I got a failing grade. Well, not literally, but verbally. (XD).

I sat on the swing thinking of my 82 grade again. I don't know why that thing keeps on bothering me. Maybe because it is my duty to have high grades as a science student, I guess.

Few moments then, I got that strange feeling that someone is staring at me or watching over me. I looked around but I see no one. So I just convinced myself that it was all imagination. I keep on thinking on random things when I noticed a shadow casting before me. I turned around and I saw an old man with a long curly hair.

"You seem to be lonely. I have been following you and I have noticed the sad look on your face." the old man said.

"uhm, excuse me? But my mom said that I should not talk to strangers." I answered him.


the old man chuckled silently. "I am not a stranger. As a science student, I believe you know me." he said smiling.

I stared at the old man and I am beginning to familiarize his face. "Sir Isaac Newton???????!" 

 

"Yes, dear." by that, I started wondering. Am I dreaming? O__o .. I just nod. "Stop wondering why I'm here. But as of now, I want to know the reason why you're sad. What's bothering you child?" he asked me. Is he a mind reader? Well not, because if he really is a mind reader, then he wouldn't need to ask such things.

"I got a failing grade." I answered back.

"Why?? Do you pass projects? Do you study on that subject for surprise quizzes or test?"

"Sometimes, but that subject is the last thing to be studied for me when it's our exam week. And yes, I pass projects, but not on time. I usually have a bunch of minus on my LSBs." I answered. Sir Newton sat on the swing next to me.

"Ah, I see. What is that subject?" he asked.

"Filipino, sir."

"As what I am expecting, a minor subject. You prioritize other subjects that you forgot the minor ones. Yes, major subjects are more important that them but if you failed a minor subject, your grade is affected as a whole." he said. His words hit me.

"Maybe, I'm just to lazy to study." I confessed.

"Child, do you know Albert Einstein?" he asked, changing the topic.


"yes sir! How wouldn't I? He's an influential person and known as the Father of Modern Physics." I said, smiling.

"You're right, child. And he once said that 'nothing happens until something moves'." He said, as he stared at the bright blue sky.


From that line, I remember one Newton's Law of Motion, the law of inertia.

O__O

wait.. It is HIS law!

"So sir, it is like the law of inertia right? because the law states that a body in motion tends to remain in motion and a body at rest tends to remain at rest unless acted upon by a net force." I asked him.


"Exactly, and that is what I want to teach you child. I want you to apply the law of inertia in your life because in this cruel world, we all know that nothing will happen unless you make it happen. So if you want something to happen? Do what you want. Make a move."

 
nothing happen unless you make it happen

nothing happen unless you make it happen

nothing happen unless you make it happen

-Those words kept on running on my mind.


"I want a change. I want to have higher grades than before." I said.


"Then, what move should you do?" Sir Newton asked.


"I need, wait no.. I MUST study harder, pass projects on time, and not to be lazy anymore." I answered him. He stand and started walking away.


"That's the spirit. Just always remember the law of inertia. If you want something to happen, DON'T LET ANYONE OR ANYTHING STOP YOU FROM MAKING IT HAPPEN." he said. I just respond with a nod and a smile. He really is an inspiring person.


I watched him walked away.
Well maybe, just maybe, this is all nothing but a dream.