A Lesson on Patience from a DIY Model Robot
Finished a DIY robot after 2 years; a simple win that taught me patience, focus, and joy despite today’s heavy news.
Yesterday, I finally finished assembling this DIY model robot. I’m sure that for most people, this “achievement” is not something to write home about. Easy peasy.
However, as someone who can be impatient with things that don’t interest me, I’m giving myself a pat on the back. You see, I’ve had this toy for about two years, but it has remained untouched in the cabinet until I had the interest to assemble it yesterday.
You might be asking why I had it anyway; well, it was actually Rafa who asked his mom to buy it online. He thought that he was buying a usual toy robot until it arrived. He was a little disappointed that it had to be assembled first. He asked me to help him, but the most that I did was build only one leg. I lost my patience altogether because the instruction sheet was in black and white; I couldn’t even match the parts in the picture with the actual components. Since I was also losing my temper at that time, I bribed Rafa and said that I would buy him a robot toy in the mall.
We forgot all about it until I saw Rafa take the box out of the cabinet. He was playing with one of the small metal rods when I asked him if he wanted me to help him assemble the robot. He readily said yes, and I went to work. It was still a challenging task, but thankfully, the picture printed on the box is in full color. I just used that as a reference for building the robot’s parts.
I had some mistakes in connecting some of the parts, but I was able to fix them immediately. After about two hours, the robot that I had ignored for two years. I showed it to Rafa, and he was happy with the result. As for myself, I quite enjoyed building the robot and realized why some people take it as a hobby. It was really a great way to pass the time. Best of all, I realized that I can be patient. I mean, hindi ko naman kasi interes nga yung ginagawa ko pero pag nag concentrate pala ako, magagawa ko naman. I can focus on seeing the task to completion.
In other news…
The social media landscape has been abuzz with the death of two Ateneo De Manila University players: Rene “Bobet” Baterbonia and Divine Adili. I didn’t have the patience to look at the news and posts because a lot of content creators were just riding on the buzz and milking the issue. If in the past it was the news outlets that tended to sensationalize the reports, it was the content creators this time who are dramatizing the social media posts. As such, I deliberately ignored the posts because I didn’t want anything to do with those people who capitalize on the grief of the affected family.
However, there was one post that caught my attention, and it was about Bobet’s mom, who supposedly “cursed” the Ateneo players and officials unless they tell the truth. What was even more alarming about the event was when the mom put the basketball jersey signed by Bobet’s teammates and coaches in the casket before burial. That led me to search social media posts about it and read about old beliefs or customs during burial. I guess I consumed too much info about it to the point that I got creeped out about the things I read about (which also meant that I was able to sleep well that night).
Also, because I got to know more about Bobet’s family and his background, I was saddened by what happened to him. Naawa rin ako sa pamilya nya, especially sa parents. Walang magulang na gustong mawalan ng anak, lalo na sa isang tragic na paraan. I hope that. In the end, they get the closure and justice that they are seeking.
Aside from Bobet’s death, there was also the shooting incident in Tacloban involving minors. Dumating na nga ang isa sa mga kinatatakutan ko. I always read news about school shootings in the USA, and I always prayed that it wouldn’t happen in the Philippines. I have two small kids in school; given the choice. I’d want to be with them at the same time to watch them. Unfortunately, that’s impossible, so I always whisper a prayer to protect them when they are out of our sight.
Furthermore, as parents, it’s our responsibility to raise our kids to be good and respectful individuals. Values begin at home, and how they are outside is a reflection of their life inside their house. Those minors who are involved in the shooting, their parents are also at fault. They should’ve done a better job in teaching their children to do the right thing.
In any case, with all the depressing news lately, I hope that we’ll get more positive news soon.
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