5/365: everybody gets a chance

I was planning to write about something else today but I totally changed my mind after watching American Idol's Season 10 First Audition Run at New Jersey. I am not an American Idol fan really. The only season I watched religiously was the one with David Cook. Don't ask me the season number because I honestly don't remember.

For the lack of interest on the local telenovelas, I switched to channel 27 and the show just began. We (me, my mother and my younger brother) laughed our way through the episode and basing on just one show, I can say that I am loving the new set of judges. :) At the end of the two-hour show however, my mom and I got teary-eyed.

The shot:

Obviously, I did not take the picture. It shows the new set of judges and the host. I can't say anything much about this one except that this came up after I googled "American Idol Season 10".

The story:

The last audition was from a young black American who lived in the Bronx. His was a story that made us emotional. He and his family used to live in a shelter because they could not afford to live anywhere else. His story was not very different from many of those who join competitions such as this. It may be a different setting or a different dilemma but still, everybody goes through hardships that shake us up. The most striking part for me came when his dad was interviewed. Though I am not sure if I am getting the words right, I remember he said something like, "I want him to get this chance. That is what's good about America, everyone gets to have a chance. And I want you to remember that son. You... are an American." A few moments later, he gets to sing, gets three 'yes-es' and the room was filled with emotion.

Even after the credits rolled in, I can remember his father's words. The father, despite their poverty (yes, it is possible to be poor in America), their color (there was a time when people like them were largely discriminated) and condition, firmly believes that in their country, everyone is given a chance.

I hope I hear more people say that about the Philippines. I hear it from my students, from fellow teachers and from a lot of people around me irregardless of gender, status and line of work... in the Philippines, not everybody gets 'the' chance.

Call me idealistic, hopeless or blind but I still believe that in our country, people can still get the chances that they desire. The chance to win, succeed, progress, etc. It may not come in the same manner for all but it doesn't mean we ought to lose hope. I want to believe that God has given each one of us a chance to do better and be better.

I'm checking the reflections papers of my students right now. Theirs are stories I wish I could tell. Theirs are stories filled with hope for better things... even if what they see at present are dark skies. If American Idol judges take pride in playing a part in the stars' success stories, I take immense joy knowing that I am witnessing how many of my struggling-and-yet-still-hopeful students are living out their chances of getting a good education... the chances that other people around them are telling them they'll never have.