All of us humans have different views in life. We have different views in looking at things, situations, life in general and we have different priorities. It is because we are subjective in nature. Not all the time, our views are the same with that of others. There are really times that we are the same with theirs and there are also times that we are different with theirs. Our view in life is important. Aside from the difference in views, we also have different stories in life. In this paper of mine, I want to share what was shared to me by the one I interviewed in our requirements in the subjects Ancient Philosophy and Filipino Philosophy about the story of his life and his views in life.. He was just a simple man with a unique story and view in life.
I interviewed one of the common faces we seminarians would often see, but not all of us know him. He is Vicente Gonzales. We know him in his nickname “Itik.” We would often call him “Nung Itik” to show our respect to him. Nung Itik is presently working in the parish of Our Lady of Candles, Jaro Cathedral. He is a parish driver. He serves humbly and passionately the church through driving the priests at the Cathedral. He was born here in Iloilo. His father was an Ilonggo while his mother was a Tagala (from Laguna). In his early years, he lived in Laguna. During his fourth grade, his grandfather got him from his parents and brought him here in Iloilo. He had his first year and second year high school at the Iloilo National High School. He had his third year and fourth year at the Pius. He had his college at De Paul College taking “COMSEC”/ Computer Secretariat. While he was still a student, he sacrificed going to school every time there is a busy schedule in the parish. He did not finish his college.
He started working at the Cathedral at the age of ten as a sacristan because his grandfather was the sacristan major during those times. When his grandfather retired, he became the sacristan major. He was a sacristan major for almost eighteen years. During the time of Msgr. Escañan, he resigned as a sacristan major. After that, he became a driver at the Segovia Nissan for almost two years. After working as a driver at the Segovia, he worked at Saudi Arabia in a “Dairy Processing” for two years. After his contract at Saudi, he returned here in the Philippines and worked again in Cathedral as a driver because his family needs his presence. Presently, if we total the years of his work at the cathedral, it is near to thirty years.
Nung Itik’s Desires in Life
Nung Itik has a complete family. His wife works at DTI. They have two children, one male and one female. His elder son is now a father. That is to say that Nung Itik is now a grandfather. His son became a father at the age of seventeen. He is still studying at the present. His daughter is taking Hotel and Restaurant Management.
One of the desires of Nung Itik when he was still in his early age was to become a priest. He did not enter the seminary and pursue priesthood because he had it in his mind that it is hard to become a priest. He said that priests are intelligent because they give homilies in the mass. They must be fluent speakers. Because of his high expectations for priesthood, he did not tried to be one.
Aside from Nung Itik’s desire for the priesthood (in his early age), he has also desires for his family. First, he desired that his son will become a priest. His son didn’t want to become one. It did not materialize because his son now is a “padre de pamilya.” Second, he desired that his daughter can finish her studies. Third, he desired that his grandson will become a priest in someday. He wants his early desire for priesthood to materialize in his grandson. Fourth, he desires success for every member of his family (especially to his children and grandson). Lastly, as a driver and a father, he also desires to have a car (even the simple one) because he wants to have bonding with his family and bring them in other places. These desires mentioned by Nung Itik are just some of his dreams in life that if will come to reality, he will feel fulfillment.
Plato’s Theory of Form
Plato was a Classical Greek philosopher, mathematician, student of Socrates, writer of philosophical dialogues, and founder of the Academy in Athens, the first institution of higher learning in the Western world. Along with his mentor, Socrates, and his student, Aristotle, Plato helped to lay the foundations of Western philosophy and Science. (Wikipedia)
Plato is known in his Theory of Form. For Plato, there are two worlds. These are the World of ideas and the World of senses. They are different worlds because in the World of Ideas, all perfections exist while in the World of Senses, matters and imperfections exist. The Form exists in the World of Ideas. In Plato’s philosophy, the soul came from the World of Ideas. It is imprisoned inside the body which is a matter. Matters exist in the world of senses. The soul cannot remember everything in the World of Ideas. What he can do is to try to “remember” what exist there (World of Ideas). While the soul is imprisoned inside the body, he “yearns” and “craves” to know whatever is in the world of forms, and to recall whatever is in the World of Ideas.
Connection of Plato’s Philosophy in Nung Itik’s View
As what I have observed, Nung Itik’s view in life had some platonic flavor. In Nung Itik’s desires in life, we can apply Plato’s Theory of Form. Nung Itik’s desires in life that are not achieved or still in the process of achieving exist in the world of forms. They exist in the world of forms because they are just potential to happen and not actual. That is why, Nung Itik “craves” and “yearns” for it to happen/materialize. If it comes to reality, his desires are no longer in the world of ideas, but in the World of Senses. When it is in the World of Senses, one will no longer “yearn” for it.
I interviewed one of the common faces we seminarians would often see, but not all of us know him. He is Vicente Gonzales. We know him in his nickname “Itik.” We would often call him “Nung Itik” to show our respect to him. Nung Itik is presently working in the parish of Our Lady of Candles, Jaro Cathedral. He is a parish driver. He serves humbly and passionately the church through driving the priests at the Cathedral. He was born here in Iloilo. His father was an Ilonggo while his mother was a Tagala (from Laguna). In his early years, he lived in Laguna. During his fourth grade, his grandfather got him from his parents and brought him here in Iloilo. He had his first year and second year high school at the Iloilo National High School. He had his third year and fourth year at the Pius. He had his college at De Paul College taking “COMSEC”/ Computer Secretariat. While he was still a student, he sacrificed going to school every time there is a busy schedule in the parish. He did not finish his college.
He started working at the Cathedral at the age of ten as a sacristan because his grandfather was the sacristan major during those times. When his grandfather retired, he became the sacristan major. He was a sacristan major for almost eighteen years. During the time of Msgr. Escañan, he resigned as a sacristan major. After that, he became a driver at the Segovia Nissan for almost two years. After working as a driver at the Segovia, he worked at Saudi Arabia in a “Dairy Processing” for two years. After his contract at Saudi, he returned here in the Philippines and worked again in Cathedral as a driver because his family needs his presence. Presently, if we total the years of his work at the cathedral, it is near to thirty years.
Nung Itik’s Desires in Life
Nung Itik has a complete family. His wife works at DTI. They have two children, one male and one female. His elder son is now a father. That is to say that Nung Itik is now a grandfather. His son became a father at the age of seventeen. He is still studying at the present. His daughter is taking Hotel and Restaurant Management.
One of the desires of Nung Itik when he was still in his early age was to become a priest. He did not enter the seminary and pursue priesthood because he had it in his mind that it is hard to become a priest. He said that priests are intelligent because they give homilies in the mass. They must be fluent speakers. Because of his high expectations for priesthood, he did not tried to be one.
Aside from Nung Itik’s desire for the priesthood (in his early age), he has also desires for his family. First, he desired that his son will become a priest. His son didn’t want to become one. It did not materialize because his son now is a “padre de pamilya.” Second, he desired that his daughter can finish her studies. Third, he desired that his grandson will become a priest in someday. He wants his early desire for priesthood to materialize in his grandson. Fourth, he desires success for every member of his family (especially to his children and grandson). Lastly, as a driver and a father, he also desires to have a car (even the simple one) because he wants to have bonding with his family and bring them in other places. These desires mentioned by Nung Itik are just some of his dreams in life that if will come to reality, he will feel fulfillment.
Plato’s Theory of Form
Plato was a Classical Greek philosopher, mathematician, student of Socrates, writer of philosophical dialogues, and founder of the Academy in Athens, the first institution of higher learning in the Western world. Along with his mentor, Socrates, and his student, Aristotle, Plato helped to lay the foundations of Western philosophy and Science. (Wikipedia)
Plato is known in his Theory of Form. For Plato, there are two worlds. These are the World of ideas and the World of senses. They are different worlds because in the World of Ideas, all perfections exist while in the World of Senses, matters and imperfections exist. The Form exists in the World of Ideas. In Plato’s philosophy, the soul came from the World of Ideas. It is imprisoned inside the body which is a matter. Matters exist in the world of senses. The soul cannot remember everything in the World of Ideas. What he can do is to try to “remember” what exist there (World of Ideas). While the soul is imprisoned inside the body, he “yearns” and “craves” to know whatever is in the world of forms, and to recall whatever is in the World of Ideas.
Connection of Plato’s Philosophy in Nung Itik’s View
As what I have observed, Nung Itik’s view in life had some platonic flavor. In Nung Itik’s desires in life, we can apply Plato’s Theory of Form. Nung Itik’s desires in life that are not achieved or still in the process of achieving exist in the world of forms. They exist in the world of forms because they are just potential to happen and not actual. That is why, Nung Itik “craves” and “yearns” for it to happen/materialize. If it comes to reality, his desires are no longer in the world of ideas, but in the World of Senses. When it is in the World of Senses, one will no longer “yearn” for it.
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