| Saturday, September 22, 2007 |
| A peek into my parent's profession |
My parents used to work as soldiers. No, they were not trained in prestigious military institutions such as the PMA or PMMA. They went under a rigorous training (bootcamp) before they became a sargeant. As you all know, the military life is difficult. But inspite of all the hardships that they experienced, I know that my parents enjoyed their independence (being in the barracks and living with their comrades). It may not pay them enough money but it taught them a lot of experiences and exposed them to a lot of things. My father is usually involved in fieldwork (which includes being sent to Mindanao to fight with the rebels) while my mother is involved in clerical work. Because of the demands of their job, I was always left at the care of a nanny since they need to be away most of the time.
When Cory became the president, they had a choice to work in the marines or with the Philippine National Police. They opted to work in the PNP since the responsibility is lighter, the pay is higher and they're not sent in the battlefields (unless they get involved in a shootout, but its still different compared to the army). Sadly, the police had a bad reputation. It is currently considered as one of the most corrupt institution in the country.
My father worked with the Intelligence department. I remember when I was a child, he brings me to his office, which is quite hidden as we have to pass several passages, and a lot of doors had to be opened (but mind you, it's not the fancy passageway that you can see in the movies). Inside his office, there were a lot of computers and audio devices (I won't elaborate what they do). To keep myself busy in their office, I would play in one of their computers or sleep since it was airconditioned. Unfortunately, since the principles of some of my father's colleagues is different from his, he left the unit and opted for an early retirement.
Meanwhile, when my mother worked with PNP, she worked in the women's desk. She deals with domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse. At the end of the day, she would tell stories - some of them are absurd and funny but most of them are heartbreaking. I remember her story when one woman complained that her dead husband has a mistress. Out of anger, that woman put a chain on her husband's casket and locked it. Another time, my mother brought a young boy in our house. This boy is a victim of child abuse and needs to be handed over to DSWD. The boy was quiet when he stayed in our house, where he was provided with food, shelter and care for a short time. When he had to be turned over to DSWD, the boy does not want my mother to leave him. It was heartbreaking but its part of her job.
Due to the nature of my parents' profession, I somehow developed this kind of paranoia - I don't want to talk to strangers and I usually project that I'm intimidating. I wear the modest clothes to avoid any snatchers or pickup. At home, emphasis is given on security.
Aside from being scared of petty crimes, I developed this habit of connecting events, paying attention to details and thinking of any inconsistencies. No, I'm not referring to detective type of things like Nancy Drew or Veronica Mars. Simple things only. But don't get me wrong, I'm not that paranoid to suspect all the people of having a motive. It's all harmless :)
Inspite of all these things that I mentioned, most of my friends are surprised that my parents used to work in the military because they don't appear to be rigid. And if you're going to ask me why I did not become a military, well I can't imagine myself possessing a gun as part of my profession. |
posted by subhuman @ 12:29 AM  |
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