If I pursued a nursing career I will be fighting this war

Photo c/o JC Gellidon, unsplash.com

Nearly 50 years ago as I graduated from high school around this time, I was tempted to follow most of my classmates who opted for a career in medicine, nursing, and engineering. But what I really wanted was to be a farmer, to live and work in my grandparent's farm where I grew-up. I made it to UPLB but not able to officially enroll due to financial constraints, went to study engineering in a local college. That was a disaster for I didn't have the head for math and numbers. I eventually finished a degree in Literature, for I loved to read and fancied myself to be a writer.  I even imagined myself becoming a gentleman-farmer!  I have had a varied and colourful work-life: worked as a credit investigator, farm manager (growing tropical grapes and seedless watermelon), entrepreneur, a barter trader aka smuggler, gravitated to the academe as a high school and college teacher. Then I got bitten by radio and eventually TV and here I am today.

If I became a nurse (that was more practical and doable since it wasn't as expensive as studying to become a doctor) but back then I had this crazy fear of blood, that's why I chickened out from nursing; I am sure that I will do what our nurses are doing right now, I will be at the front-lines too! It's not a joke, I no longer have hematophobia, knowing me, I'm very sure I will be out there fighting this crazy war. Right now I'd like to go out and volunteer, but what good will that do? I can't go out because I am not trained nor fully equipped to fight this war. I will just contribute to the problems that our front-liners are already facing. The only thing that we can do to help our front-liners is to stay home and sit this one out.

As this Covid-19 war rages on, I now realize how our forefathers, how our grandparents, would have felt when they took up arms to fight the enemy, performed clandestine services, or simply disobeyed the oppressors. Just take a look at our front-liners all over the world, young and old, they have no fear in facing this unseen, deadly and traitorous enemy, knowing that some of them might not come out alive from this war! And here I am in the comforts of my home, very much alive because there are people who are willing to put their lives on the line. What can we do in this war effort? Fervently pray for our front-liners, that they will have the courage and strength to soldier on. They don't believe in that crazy notion that "he/she who runs away, lives to fight another day." They are our heroes and they are fighting for our lives. Don't let their sacrifices come to naught!