The second day has come, and it feels just like yesterday. It's as if they are continuing right where they left off. The first subject was Disciplines and Ideas in Social Science, taught by Ma'am Miranda. Yesterday, she introduced the subject and outlined what to expect. Today, she focused on explaining the importance of personal development.
But how can one define development to a person?
A person's development can take many forms—physical, mental, or emotional. Some may experience development earlier or later than others; nonetheless, everyone has a unique way of growing up.
"A person can acquire maturity through one's experience. It can be from hardship or a taste of failure."
Maturity is something that is obtained rather than inherent. While everyone possesses some degree of maturity, it arrives at different times in each person's life. Physical maturity is easier to observe, but mental maturity is more complex. It's like unlocking a new aspect within yourself. Simply put, it's like experiencing a sudden realization or gaining new perspectives and insights through experiences. These experiences can range from overcoming hardships to learning from failures. Each challenge faced and lesson learned contributes to this growth. This is what Ma'am Miranda is trying to say in her statement.
Consider a scenario where you do something wrong, and it suddenly dawns on you that your actions were inappropriate. This kind of realization often comes from personal experiences and reflections. For instance, imagine you have been teasing someone excessively, thinking it was all in good fun. One day, you push them to their mental breaking point. At first, you might not see the harm, but then you witness their mental breakdown, and it hits you hard. You realize that your actions, which you intended as a joke, have caused real emotional damage. This moment of clarity brings a deep sense of guilt and regret, illuminating the wrongness of your behavior. In such situations, the best and only appropriate response is apologizing to the person you've hurt. This act of contrition is a critical step in demonstrating your newfound maturity. It shows that you acknowledge your mistake and are willing to make amends.
Returning to the idea of maturity, apologizing is undoubtedly a significant aspect. However, the process of maturing goes beyond mere apologies. It's the moment of realization when you recognize your mistake and feel a deep sense of guilt, can be transformative. It's like a sudden awakening or enlightenment, where you see the impact of your actions clearly for the first time. And you might think, "I want to change from now on," or something similar. This awakening often sparks introspection and a profound desire for personal growth.
The same goes for maturity in emotion. Emotional maturity unfolds in various ways throughout life. Sometimes, it strikes unexpectedly, like a sudden realization. It's akin to growing out of childhood—things that once brought immense joy may feel less fulfilling or meaningful as one matures. Losing touch with emotions can be difficult to notice; they gradually lose their essence as life progresses. Happiness can be outgrown, and sadness can be numbed. In the grand scheme of life, everything is subject to change. The emotions, perspectives, and how people perceive the world are constantly shaped by a person's personal growth and the changing circumstances we encounter.
Nevertheless, these changes are beneficial for a future career. To become a professional requires a strong mindset, stable emotions, and valuable experience. Hard work is also important and can be seen as part of gaining expertise. It often relies on having an unwavering mindset, unyielding emotions, and determined experience.
"Maturity and discipline can be the same yet different things. One involves understanding and acceptance, while the other entails boundaries and adherence. Do you all understand why this is the case?"
With this statement in mind, Ma'am Miranda asked the class. However, no one could grasp her idea, so silence greeted her question. The class exchanged side glances, waiting for someone to respond to the teacher, but no one did.
Seeing no one willing to answer, Ma'am Miranda shifted her focus to a specific person and asked, "What about you?"
With the entire class listening intently, their eyes stopped wandering and fixed on a particular individual. Their gaze landed on Cabanas, but surprisingly, he was not the one Ma'am Miranda had in mind.
Instead, where did her gaze fall?
Suddenly, a girl stood up, determined to speak.
"Maturity and discipline are different, but, both ultimately lead to the same outcome."
"Oh? So, you agree with my statement?"
"No, Ma'am. They may sound similar, but they differ in the process."
"Oh? What do you mean by that?"
"Maturity and discipline are akin to lighters and matches. Both serve the same purpose but differ in their mechanisms. How lighter operates by releasing gas through a metal mechanism ignited by pressing a button, modernizing the traditional matchstick. In contrast, matches are sticks that ignite when the match head is struck against the rough strip on the side of the box, generating friction and heat to start a fire instantly."
"Lighters and matches, it's interesting that you used that comparison for our topic. However, how does that relate to maturity and discipline?"
"Maturity and discipline share a common trait: both contribute to personal improvement. They provide insights into self-identity, albeit through different means. Maturity involves a natural evolution, unfolding over time, and not easily controlled or forced. It's something that unfolds gradually, through experiences and learning. On the other hand, Discipline is about self-restraint and setting boundaries within one's mindset. It involves a deliberate effort to adhere to certain principles or rules. In essence, maturity is about experiencing and learning from life's lessons, while discipline involves consciously enforcing behavioral standards. Despite their distinct processes, maturity and discipline ultimately aim to achieve the same goal: fostering personal growth and bringing about change. They may approach it differently, but both contribute to a sense of transformation and development."
'An apple falls from the tree naturally, unless someone snaps it off' is maybe what she was trying to say. This metaphor illustrates that the process of obtaining the apple can be different, yet, in the end, the result is still receiving the apple. Similarly, maturity and discipline differ in processes, yet both lead to the same result. No matter the method, they both bring about change in a person. That's her conclusion.
"Ms. Frias, thank you for sharing your perspective on this topic. Your opinion isn't wrong or anything, and I understand your point. And I see now that your statement is different from mine. Regardless it was a wonderful interpretation of those two words, however, my interpretation is different," said Ms. Miranda, then added, "So, Ms. Frias, you can sit down now."
After the girl complied, Ms. Miranda shifted her gaze from her to the entire class and continued speaking, "Discipline for me is something like consuming something and waiting for the result. The result can be good or bad, but it always provides a learning experience. In contrast, maturity is more like a random occurrence, unpredictable in its timing. Both impart significant lessons from their outcomes; though the concepts may be similar, the impact of each is undoubtedly different. Between the two, which has a greater impact? I would argue that maturity has a greater impact. As I mentioned earlier, maturity is somewhat unpredictable; you can't force it, you must simply allow it to happen. Trying to force it may not yield as profound an impact as allowing it to unfold naturally. Let it teach you; that's where the emphasis lies."
In the right sentence, she paused, searching the faces of her entire class as though she had something important to convey. What is it? What she wants to say among those eyes of hers. Her eyes moved across the room without turning her head much, successfully meeting each student's gaze directly. It was remarkable that no one dared to look away. What's more, every student seemed wholly focused on her listening attentively.
After looking at everyone, Ma'am Miranda closed her eyes, nodding with satisfaction. Then, she spoke decisively.
"We'll end our discussion here for now," she said.
It was as if she was saying that her time in her subject was over, but that wasn't the case. In truth, there was still time left before her subject would end. Even though there were still exactly 10 minutes left in her class period, she was already determined to leave the classroom.
But why leave early? What about her explanation on her part? She thoroughly covered the topic of maturity but didn't touch on discipline, making her explanation incomplete and lacking. It left everyone hanging, much like the suspenseful ending of an episode in a TV series. It's frustrating, but the whole class seemed disinterested in what the teacher was saying—it was as if her words went in one ear and out the other. So, it's okay if they didn't hear the rest of it.
Returning to the teacher who planned to leave, she was already nowhere to be found in the room, which meant she had already left. But before she went out, she said something like, "We'll continue this discussion next time" and "We'll talk about something later in homeroom."
The room fell into silence when Ma'am Miranda left. No one dared to utter a single word, even though the teacher in mind was already gone. The room stayed quiet for the next 10 minutes. Everyone assumed this was some kind of test from the teacher, so they kept their mouths shut. But as the minutes passed with no sign of the test ending and no sign of Ma'am Miranda returning, confusion started to set in. So the class began to wonder whether this was a test or if the teacher had genuinely left the classroom. There's a chance that Ma'am Miranda is just testing them since it's after all the topic a while ago was about maturity and discipline. So many believed Ma'am Miranda was testing them. They thought she wanted to see how mature and disciplined they had become. So they remained silent, eyes fixed on the door where Ma'am Miranda had exited, waiting for her to return and perhaps reveal that this was all a test to observe their growth since junior high.
Everyone thinks that way, yet the idea soon disperses when the remaining time is reduced from 10 minutes to 3. The anticipation of Ma'am Miranda returning vanished, leaving the class with a sense of relief and disappointment. What's more, the earlier silent atmosphere had been already replaced by chatter from every corner of the room, it was as if they wouldn't care if Ma'am Miranda returned within the last second.
After spending that spare time chit-chatting, the whole room returned to its earlier silent state from a while ago. The reason was that a teacher had finally entered the classroom. It wasn't Ma'am Miranda, as the person who entered was a man—the next teacher for another subject, confirming that Ma'am Miranda's time was indeed over. During those 10 minutes, Ma'am Miranda did not return, making it obvious that there was no test to begin with, and she just had simply left early, that was the conclusion.
Going back to the next teacher in mind, he greeted the class and the class greeted back. Just like yesterday, or even earlier today, his class felt like a continuation of an introduction that had begun yesterday. A theme like that will continue. After Ma'am Miranda, nothing particularly notable happened. Her actions were unusual compared to the others, but the rest of the day went on normally. However, there's still homeroom, where Ma'am Miranda is the teacher since she's their adviser. But apparently, that only happens once a week, whereas yesterday they had one. So, she will return to that subject at a different period, which is Monday after the break. And yet, recalling what Ma'am Miranda said earlier, there is something she wants to discuss later. So what was that? Ma'am Miranda mentioned she would discuss it in homeroom, but homeroom is typically held only once a week. That's the norm across the whole school system, from primary to secondary. Unless they're not following the usual system for it, perhaps their homeroom could be taken twice or more. As for the topic to be discussed, she didn't reveal any details, making it seem like a surprise later. This thing Ma'am Miranda wants to discuss could be important, yet, no one seems to care—or perhaps they just didn't bother remembering it. Whether it's a continuation of the earlier topic or something different, everyone already feels disinterested.
Returning to the second subject, nothing interesting happened afterward, the class has been proceeding smoothly. It was quite ordinary, nothing more than that. The same goes for the next and following subject. As a result, the second through fourth subjects were completed without any problems.
Now the class is heading into their break time. Once the teacher dismissed them and left, everyone stood from their seats. Chatter began to fill the room as some gathered in their usual spots. Not all want to leave the room during break time. What about the canteen? As for the others, food wasn't an issue since they brought their own. There's no rule stating that a class must leave the classroom during break time, that the room must be empty, nor that eating inside the room is prohibited during recess. The classroom is available for students to use once break time begins, but only during that period. They can do whatever they want, as long as it doesn't pose any danger or cause trouble to the surroundings outside the room.
So yeah, some want to stay in the classroom, but not for Adrian and Jose. Not bringing food was ordinary for them, that was the case in the past and remains true today. Thus, they always went to the canteen back then, and today is no different. Hence, Adrian and Jose are among the people who leave the classroom to eat at the canteen.
With that being said, Adrian and Jose soon arrived at the canteen. But unlike yesterday, they weren't running out of schedule this time. They got to the canteen right before it became crowded, though it was already slowly filling up. So, before it could get too busy, they quickly went to the counter and placed their order.
"So, where would we sit?" Jose asked after getting their food.
"I have a spot in mind. Follow me," Adrian replied.
And so they made their way to the table Adrian had in mind.
"Hey, are you sure about this? Isn't it already occupied?" Jose posed a question after they reached the table Adrian mentioned.
"It's fine. I'll go ask her."
"Wait, wouldn't it be better to sit at a different table? Look, there are still some spare ones available we could take."
'Spare' wouldn't be the right word here, since in truth there were enough—perhaps even more than enough—tables they could sit at. And yet still, Adrian chose a table that someone had already occupied.
It was a girl eating alone at a table for four. This girl in mind can't be said it's an acquaintance, but it wasn't a stranger either. She's likely a classmate they are meeting for the first time.
"Well, I have some business with her," said Adrian, reassuring that there's a reason why he chose that spot specifically. "So, you don't mind sitting there?" He added.
"Yeah, it's up to you. But first, ask her if it's okay."
"I'll do that." Adrian approached the individual and tried to talk to her. "Excuse me, you're Frias, right?"
After hearing him, the person paused her eating and looked toward the source of the voice, "Why yes, that's my name. Do you need something from me?"
"Well, yes. But before that, could we join you here at this table?"
"Go ahead, I'm fine with it."
After receiving permission, Adrian said, "Thanks," before sitting with her. And Jose joined them shortly after.
"We're actually in the same class."
"I know."
"Really?"
"Yeah. You're Cabanas right?"
"You know me?"
"How could I not, after what happened yesterday?"
"Right…"
It was probably when Adrian was sleeping in Ma'am Miranda's class. Since then, the teacher has been making sarcastic comments about him when she had the chance.
"You honestly did mess up on your first day, and worst of all at Ma'am Miranda's time."
"Hmm? That comment makes it seem like you fully understand Ma'am Miranda's character."
"Well… not fully, but I've grasped a little since this is my second time being her student."
"Wait!"
From the beginning of the conversation until now, only two people were talking; Adrian and Frias. But suddenly, a third party joined in. This person isn't an outsider or a stranger, he's also a classmate sitting with them the entire time. Though he was silent throughout the whole convo from the start, he finally spoke up this time. This person is none other than Jose.
"The way you phrased that… are you, by any chance, a repeater?" Jose continued.
He raised the term 'repeater.' That word was commonly used in school-related situations to refer to a student repeating a grade level or being held back a year. The reason for that was likely due to low individual assessments.
Asking about the girl's status as a repeater wasn't exactly nice. However, there's a clue in her sentence: "This is my second time being her student" is already giveaway. Moreover, since they are freshmen, how could this be her second time? Unless she had been her teacher in junior high. But that's impossible, as Bonifacio High is a school exclusive for upcoming senior high students; therefore, it wouldn't have a junior high. It can be inferred that Ma'am Miranda probably taught Frias at a different school before transferring here. However, this remains a hypothesis, and Frias has yet to confirm it.
"Yes, but well, to be precise, I'm a returnee," she said casually.
"Wait, what? Really?" Jose exclaimed in surprise.
'Returnee' is a term similar to 'Repeater.' However, unlike a 'Repeater,' in which the individual gets held back, a 'Returnee' is a student who stops attending school and decides when to return after a certain period.
"For how long?" he added.
"Hmm, it's probably been almost a year and a half since I dropped school."
"Sorry if I'm being intrusive, but what was your reason for dropping?"
"I messed up my first year back then, leading me to drop out. That's all I can say about it."
"I see. I won't ask any further." Jose felt considerate, he never asked more into it.
It makes sense that she wouldn't share the reason. It's likely something heavy for her to disclose to strangers like Jose and Adrian. After all, it's a private matter.
"Now it makes sense," Adrian suddenly uttered such a sentence, catching their attention.
Making Jose raise the question, "Make sense of what?"
"Well… Frias helped me back there, right? I'm thankful for that."
What Adrian just said was shocking. Frias helped Adrian? When and where did that happen? It was confusing and didn't make sense to Jose, for him at least. But for Frias, she oddly remained quite calm after hearing about it.
"Did I?" she feigned ignorance.
"Explain yourself. Even Frias didn't know what you're talking about," Jose urged.
"Okay, remember what happened during Ma'am Miranda's class earlier?"
"Yeah, she was teaching us."
"And Ma'am Miranda was looking for a student to answer her, right? It turned out that Frias stood up to respond."
"Yeah, that happened. But still, I don't see how that helped you. How did it end up helping you?"
"You see, at that time, Ma'am Miranda had already set her sights on picking me."
"Eh? Okay, but how did you suspect that?"
"Her glance gave it away."
"..."
"I see." After a long silence, while Frias listened to what Adrian was saying, she finally spoke. "If that's how you already see it, then I won't lie anymore," she added.
"So it means?" Jose can't believe it.
"Yeah, I voluntarily—no, I purposely stood up to answer her. The reason is that I had some idea of what Ma'am Miranda could do. So that's the story; you know the rest."
"Since you understood how Ma'am Miranda's mind works and felt guilty, you took the hit for me. Did I get that right?" Adrian asked for clarification.
"That's weird to put it that way, but you're on point."
Frias confirmed it—she did help him. It was an act of sympathy, or at least that's what Adrian felt. But for Frias, even though she admitted it, her reason feels quite different.
"Since you've known Ma'am Miranda well, what kind of person is she like?" Jose asked.
"'Very well' might be an exaggeration," she clarified. "I only knew her briefly, as I was a student here for just a few months before I dropped out. Also, she only became my teacher in the second semester, so that's even fewer months than you might think. As for Ma'am Miranda's personality, I won't say much, so I'll keep it simple and brief," she continued. "Ma'am Miranda is different from other teachers. She acts like a typical teacher, but there's something unique about her that I can feel. She's distinct, with a personality that's a bit too unique. Like mood swings—she can be cheerful one moment and have a serious aura the next. The way she handles the class is as unique as her personality."
"She handles a class uniquely?" Jose asked.
"Yes, in a way that isn't noticeable."
"How so?"
"Like I said, it's subtle. You have to sense that something feels off. Plus, it's hard to explain because it's uncertain."
"Oh, I see… Is there anything else?"
"No, that will be all."
"Eh? That's too little. Can you provide more information?"
"I'm afraid not. As I mentioned, I'll keep it simple and brief."
"But what you've said so far seems a bit lacking."
The things Frias just said seem more like an abstract than a summary. They lack explanation and validation, giving the impression that she's trying not to disclose everything to them. While everything she said might be true, she didn't explain why it was that way.
After hearing Jose complain, Frias let out a sigh. "I want both of you to experience what Ma'am Miranda might do firsthand. It will be better to experience that way. Observe her on your own, analyze, and evaluate. Along the way, learn, then decide how you'll handle her."
"...what?"
"I see, thanks for the advice."
Jose was baffled by what she just said. Meanwhile, Adrian considers this as advice, which sounds true, holding the information its value.
"It is, after all, to let maturity come naturally," she added suddenly.
She was referring to what she said during Ma'am Miranda's class. But what did she mean by that? Why bring it up again now? What does maturity have to do with their current discussion? One thing is certain: her statement, like the others she said, has never been thoroughly explained.