LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL
By Roger Sinot
Let me
take you for a ride downwards the hills from Baguio to Asin Hot Springs. On
this trip we will pass through two manmade tunnels. These were constructed to
serve the railway tracks of trains. To avoid railroad track curves, the workers
had to dig through two mountains in order to have a straight pathway for the
trains. The trains were built to ferry minerals from the mining camps around
Baguio and bring them down to ships docked at San Fernando, La Union. The railway
project under the Philippine National Railroad (PNR) and supervision of the
Manila Rail Road (MRR) began right after the United States of America took hold
of the Philippines in the 1900s. But World War 1 (WW1) broke out so the
Americans and Filipino workers stopped making the shafts and gears for the
trains bound for Baguio and Lepanto, and started making bullets and armored
tanks instead. Today, the tunnels and communities around it are still dark
despite the fact that the Asin hydros were constructed to supply electricity
for Baguio, particularly the American offices, residential houses and Pine
lumber yards that produced timber for the mining tunnels since the 1930s.
While on our way down the road and through the
tunnels, be prepared for the dark. At the end is the light. Light is life. If
we consider life as a day consisting of a morning, afternoon and an evening,
then we should save every hour and every moment of it. As we go through the
tunnel, we can see where we came from as we reach the peak of the morning, and
we can see where we are going towards the afternoon. Even a rich man says “Life
is temporary” so that we see where we come from but we cannot go back. We
cannot go back to childhood because “Life must go on.” And though we encounter
much pain as we go through our “tunnel” in life, lucky are we who see the light
at the other end, no matter how far or near.
As we go through the tunnel of our lives, a lot of
sayings come our way but few are here to stay. One statement that we can live
by is: “Think globally but act locally.” Certainly, what we do in our
lives today will affect the world tomorrow. Hence, it is important that while
we go through the dark tunnel of our life, we should be careful not to hit on
the sides of the tunnel because definitely these small accidents will affect us
as we reach the light at the end of the tunnel. Another saying was said by
Confucius. He said, “Study the past if you want to define the future.” The next
generation could hope for a better future if they try to rediscover their
roots, trace back their kinship in an era of self-respect and respect for
others.
Before light at the end of the tunnel is total
darkness. It symbolizes the most difficult times of our lives, whether in war,
famine, disaster, break up with a friend, sickness and pain. But let us try our
best and ask Kabunyan in prayer to do the rest. We have our
roots, family and kin that hold strong our faith. As we go through the tunnel
of life, let us be carriers of goodwill and be good blessings to fellowmen.
Last weekend, I was invited to the oath taking of no
less than our very own Benguet Congressman Ronald Cosalan. Almost, if not all
of the candidates I supported won in the last elections. But I say to them,
remember that the third year of their service in the tunnel of public life is
just around the corner. So they have to make the best of their three “dark”
years. All they have to do is to let their lights shine for everyone to see.
The goodness in oneself that he displays while going through his tunnel is a
legacy that the coming generation can receive. Just let your lights shine
amigos! Happy trails to all! - RDS
No comments:
Post a Comment