by Mariegold Echavez-Jabla

Originally, my task was to get to a hilly area and take a photo early in the morning.

Like most things lately, we hardly have any liberty to do things as planned. Life gets in the way as if reminding us that plans no longer work in this place and time. So, there I was, under the heat of the midmorning sun, sweat making lazy trails along my spine as I climbed a steep slope to be able to access a good vantage point for my photograph. For someone who is not a fan of climbing mountains, this task is particularly arduous and unsatisfying, but upon reaching the top, I saw the beautiful array of mountains surrounding Ladi, Barangay Rogongon.

In my haste and eagerness to get things over with, I did not notice the tiny footpath created by the residents for easier access; such is the tendency of man to overthink things, even when life and all its simplicity lay right in front of our eyes. I am having a laugh over this tiny mishap as I am writing this article, but man, was I bummed that day!

There, on top of that mini plateau, I saw children laughing and learning how to ride a bicycle for the first time. There is this intent focus in the eyes of the one riding the bicycle. I watched as he fell and then got back up again. There were moments when I wanted to stand up from where I was lazily slumped to intervene as I started seeing him getting scratches with each time he fell, but his friend was there, cheering him on, and despite the scratches and the tiny bruises on his legs, the little boy eventually learned to balance.

Watching that scene made me realize something. These days, most of us are living in a dream-like state, with the majority of our dreams suspended mid-air—on pause, so to speak. However, like these boys climbing back up on the bicycle each time they fall with more determination than the first time, fortitude has now become a necessary tool for our survival.

It has been an uncomfortable climb. I wasn’t equipped both physically and mentally, and I even had some doubts about my security as I dragged my behind that morning as I woke up. During the hour-long motorcycle ride, I contemplated the heat, the dust, and the fear of the unknown. I had always seen this high ground and marveled at the possibility of climbing it one day each time I passed by it in the past. It became an impending goal, with no definite date of accomplishment. I was lazy, unmotivated, and afraid. However, now, standing in that sweet spot with a 180-degree view of the mountains, I wonder how many ideas lay sleeping because of those same reasons?

Although there are truth and justification in fearing the current situation due to this pandemic if you see that dreams are just an arm-stretch away, what’s stopping you from following yours?

The hot wind is blowing from all sides. The scent of freshly cut grass and weeds waft through the air, giving off lazy, once-upon-a-time summer feels. Life as we know it has changed with the bat of an eyelash, and yet these mountains, which I did not originally intend to familiarize myself with, are here standing consistently, inaccessible to most people at the moment, but not for those who are driven with determination to scale it.