When will kids be kids again?

I may not be rich when it comes to money, but I do believe I have lived my childhood just like a kid. I’ve cut enough leaves to make as cooking ingredient. I’ve run several times around the town’s plaza. I’ve gotten a number of bruises and scars all around my tiny body. I’ve been scolded so many times for going home late. I’ve cried more than I think I could because I did not win when we were playing jackstone. I made quite enough friends but a lot of enemies…see? the beauty of being a kid. When honesty was your only weapon, and candies were your only motivation…who would have thought life could be so simple and less expensive back then?

Now, kids are almost grown ups. They enjoy technology and do things that seemed to be not suitable for their early age. Gone are the days of playing outdoor games. No more running and playing hide and seek… Today, almost all of them enjoys talking to nobody just sitting at the corner with their PSP (and it is freakin’ expensive)

However not all kids are enjoying that kind of luxury. There are others who do not have time for themselves. Do not have weekend plans…and even birthday celebration. There kids who think more than an adult do. They are burdened by the fact that they must go into the streets in order to eat at least a meal a day…wuld you even call it a meal if it is just a water and a bread?

I’m always saddened by the fact that these children have skipped from a mere infant turned into a man in a boy’s body. I don’t blame anyone for their situation but if all of us would just give them the chance to be kids again, they could have been saved. How come we people can afford to buy laptops, cellular phones, shoes, bags and cars that would even cost a fortune but always hesitates to give these poor angles a piece of bread? What hurts me more is that even children now know how to criticize and discriminate other children.

My sister and I were eating at a fast food restaurant when I suddenly heard to young boys at the age of six or seven I guess. They were complaining that the smell of the playhouse stinks…and there were two boys not fully clothed just smiling and standing as all of the people watched them. The two young rich kids were yelling for the guard’s attention. The way they treat the street children, the way they try to humiliate them as if they were criminals. I even heard one of the rich kids saying that when they grow up and be a policeman they will put those kids in jail.

I really wanted to scold them, but their parents were there. As for the two street children, they kept on smiling just to avoid conflict and to hide the pain they felt the moment they were scrutinized.

After that incident, I was really troubled. I knew how kids were raised these days but I did not expect that they could that be brutal and heartless. I was lucky to be born earlier than they were. I do not care if I was not born with the amazing lifestyle technology brings. I am proud to be born during the transition period. At least I got to experience the primitive way of life. I got to have a glimpse on the traditions that made me who I am now. I may not be “techno kid” but at least I know that I do not have a robotic heart.

When I get to have a family of my own, I will surely not make the same mistakes parents of today’s generation made. I will not spoil them with material things nor let them wander in the streets.

Why not let your kids be kids again?

Money: gambler’s blood

What is man without money? For a business person, it is the blood of their profession. Having nothing means no business at all.

One must be equipped with resources and be financially stable. No matter what one sells or ventures into, it always start with one question: Do I have the capital?

In Miagao, Iloilo, a kakanin vendor has been selling her home-made products for almost 10 years. Her inexpensive goods and enough income to support her family made her in the business.

Every year, she encounters the same problems: rental fee increase, extra payment, and capital. All these three involve money. Although the amount she is paying is lower compared to the ones with bigger stalls, it is still her top concern.

Every year, she is paying P1805 for her rent. According to her, there are times when she cannot feel the burden of the amount since her goods are all sold out.

However, it is also unavoidable to have a very low profit at times. This situation shows that all entrepreneurs are affected when it comes to money matters.

One cannot deny that a light-weight, rectangular piece of paper can either cause success or failure for someone who is into business.

Trading is like a legal gambling where the ones who sty for long are the ones who know how to play it well. It does not only need finances but also intelligence and common sense on how to use all resources together.

When one gambles, winning means taking all the chances, risking everything and earning the price. May one be a kakanin or fruit vendor, or the one who sells merchandise, all of them are gambling all that they have, expecting something better in return.