RIGHTEOUS ONE

by Kristel Joy Ramos

  "There are many photographers around the world, but only a handful of them manage to inspire us" Here is the example of that photography is never a hobby or a job, it's a passion.

   I am Jack, 24 years old. I belong to a middle class family and had never seen "real" poverty during childhood. Yes, I was given a food education.Yes, I do graduate college taking up Bachelor of Fine Atrs in Photography- programs generally focus on hands-on instruction in the technical and creative aspects of the visual arts. It was a difficult road to go after my dreams, being the oldest children in our family, photography for them they didn't see a future in arts, they wanted me to become a lawyer or a doctor. My girlfriend pushed me to go after my dreams regardless of obstacles and never give up and believe me there was so many times I wanted to, but I knew I wouldn't be happy doing anything else. There is no instant in this world, However if youvare serious about making big strides in photography and dream of earning income to help support your family, trust me when I say, there is nothing better than being able to earn an honest income from doing something you love. When I started to join contest , my first campaign, my very first award, my parents started to understand that I could make a living at art and photography and happiness, then they started to support me in my passion.

   But suddenly, we were in debt. We lost everything. We don't have anything.I was literally broken and beaten. It was in such a rush that suddenly, I felt jumping from an airplane without any preparation and now you have to learn fly as you fall or you're dead.

   " When disaster comes, it comes with a batallion from all directions, at all once". Losing the love of your life because you dont have enough money was the hardest blow. The World seems to stand still when you are told. That feeling you have never felt before, of total sadness. You were told this was going to happen, but you could never be prepared for it. Losing a loved one is like having the rug sweft from under you. I felt I was paralyzed, I felt that if I moved it would be real. I just had this blank look on my face. I had no reaction at first, I wanted to deny it, all of it. I kept saying to myself no it's a lie. The loss of a loved one will leave you feeling empty inside. As if the world will never be the same again and nothing will ever be able to heal your pain.

    But the fact of the matter is that time heals all wounds and the world keeps on going as if nothing happened. But I knew that this is permanent bad phase, I had a dream and a temporary crisis is no excuse on giving up on my dreams, in my life.

    " I don't think we did go blind, I think we are blind, but seeing, blind people who can see, but do not see". - Jose Saramago

   In Jose Saramago's statement, the truth is what we cannot bare to see. Even people that have a great vision and cannot literally "see" still be "blind" to truth and complete understanding of it. We rather focus on the big things, rather than small things. It is important to be kind because some people are different from you, some people have disabilities which makes them really struggle. Kindness will make them feel loved and like people like them. Just because people are different doesn't mean they need to be treated differently., Doing things for other people helping them in some little way it makes you feel good about yourself.

   I realized yet again that little things have great power. We so often devalue things because they seem to be small or significant, but remember that a small attitude adjustment can make a big difference in a relationship, a small change in spending habits can make a big difference in our attitude, a small investment can yield a great return. We rarely move big distances in one jump, we normally make small incremental changes over the course of time to make a big distance! Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things together. Notice the small things. The rewards are inversely proportional.

   Here is the example that we should also focus on small things rather than big things , we should be thankful for all the blessings we have received , this is a story of a seven years old boy, who is different from normal people.

  Harry was born sometime in January of 2012.And he was abandoned at the age of seven. He had been born with hydrocephalus, and had not had surgery. Hydrocephalus is a brain condition, and one of the most common congenital abnormalities affecting our nervous system.

  As I  walked down the Cathedral Church, One afternoonin month of January, I spotted a beggar. The boy looked a pretty young boy, and ill- dressed. Every passerby looked at him with contempt, but merely because of who he was filthy beggar. No one used to give him anything. He always had a garland of sampaguita flowers around his neck.

    I felt very sad, it breaks my heart so much for what I have witnessed, in the same day, my perception about beggars, changed. 

    Whenever I see beggars, I will jist ignore them like I don't see or hear anything, because I felt that they are one of the disease of our country, because I think they only depend from other people, who have work hard just to earn money for their family. Which is wrong.  

   But when I met Harry, my heart breaks. He is very young to suffer from that condition alone. I have met him before , and I can say that his condition getting worst. I held my hands towards him and offered to go to convinient store to buy some foods. I can trace the excitement all over his face.

   It's been a month since I saw him beside the church, at that moment. I have my camera with me. I decided to take some pictures of him and uploaded it in social media, to gained some assistance for his surgery, because I believe that there are still people who are kind hearted and willing to help Harry.

   When I uploaded the pictures online, it becomes a big noise in social media and becomes viral, many people shared and commented on my posts and i have received personal messages that they are willing to give some donations for Harry's surgey. I feel so overwhelmed because in that small thing I do, I can change someone's life. Because I know in myself how much painful and heartbreaks i've been through when you loss a person you love so much, Harry for me is not just nobody, as time goes by I felt I want to help him , because he deserves that he is somebody who need love, attention, guidance to help him to overcome those struggles in life.

   The pledge was so very successful, our aim to collect money is now enough for the surgery. One woman who has a kind hearted , offered some help because she has a very close friend which is a doctor, which she thinks can help to do a surgery. We don't waste our time to go to the neurosurgery clinic, and Dr. Romano told what was going on.  When talking to Dr. Romano told us that Harry needed surgery as soon as possible. As an acting guardian for Harry this was scariest because I don't know what will happened next. 18 days later, we went for his brain surgery .

    Everything was going great! on February 11th, Harry had a long seizure and was flighted to children's hospital, where he was operated. Until he showed no sign of any infection. This was such a blessing!

  While corresponding back and forth with hid neuro team, after a roughly a month of being in and out of the hospital we have been so boessed to made pass all the surgery. In the coming weeks we are facing another surgery, and I can say that his condition is starting to get better.

   Being an acting guardian for Harry with a diagnosis is not curable is very scary. You find yourself worry at every little thing that is not normal or that has no explanation. I have learned to not take anything for granted, but to count each day as a blessing from God to have each other.

   I have realized that, I lived my life in a constant struggle. I still do except now I see the beauty and gift that comes from the art of the struggle. We're all struggling in some way because we're all part of the same flawed human species.

   We all feel like this at one point in our life. Going through struggle is not about suffering, it's about overcoming. The aim is not to avoid but to embrace. Once you acknowledge where you are at, and decided to become more, little changes start to occur inside of you. We are capable of so much, and you can bring change in this world ifbyou just let go. Let go of the fear, how you're perceived by others, let go of the past and choose to become more. Struggle is hard, but so is life. What's freaking awesome, though, is when you overcome it. When you yet to the top of the mountain, and realize there's another one that's just as hard to climb and it's ever higher. It's that never- ending pusuit of success that keep us a live and make us human.