JON AND FATIMA'S CLEAN SCENE JOURNEY: HOW THEIR OWN PARENTS BECAME THEIR CORNERSTONE FOR A CLEANER TOMORROW

FATIMA'S TESTAMENTS:

    Imagine my life story as a journey with a noticeable hiccup – I've let people down, especially as a daughter. One big slip-up? I used to leave garbage everywhere. It's a regret, but I'm on a mission to change.

    In the story of my life, there's a section that unfolds with an honest admission of a significant mistake – a repeated pattern of disappointment, quite literally, shown through the scattered mess of misplaced garbage. Growing up, my parents instilled in me the importance of responsible waste disposal, emphasizing that as a woman, learning to keep our surroundings clean is an essential skill. Their words echoed in my mind, a reminder that education should extend beyond the classroom, manifesting in practical actions like proper garbage disposal. 'What's the point of your education?’ my parents would say, 'if you still throw garbage to be picked up by an uneducated person working?'. This is a candid exploration of learning from these valuable lessons, and the ongoing process of transforming not just the physical clutter but reshaping my perspective on responsibility and personal growth.

    The lessons I learned echoed loud and clear: responsibility is more than a tidy room; it's a mindset, a reflection of the values we hold. Amid scattered mistakes, I've come to realize that change isn't just about cleaning up physical clutter – it's about transforming the way we think and act. May this Christmas bring not only tidings of comfort and joy but also a renewed commitment to responsible living. Here's to a cleaner, kinder, and more joyful world. Merry Christmas and cheers to the journey ahead!

🌊 🌊 ♻️♻️🌊 🌊 ♻️♻️

JON'S TESTAMENTS:

    Quite ironic and hypocritical to think that before, I quietly judge people who litter their surroundings, meanwhile here I am, who low-key litters his surroundings, thinking that a small wrapper of candy is not noticeable or harmful enough in the environment. However, one particular teaching from my father changed my perspective, making me value the other lives aside from mine, especially those who live below the water.

    I always thought that the mindset I had when I was still young regarding throwing small trash anywhere was birthed when it was what I observed from the adults around me; especially when I was still young where I viewed them as someone that I should respect. It was also funny to think that I dislike people who are not tidy with their surroundings because I always saw that the trash they throw is much bigger and a lot more than mine, thinking that it could block drainages or it must be too tedious to clean. It must have been also a bad thing that my parents were quite silent about this littering of mine, where I and my father don’t talk that much and my mother tolerates this behavior and is sometimes the one who encourages me instead.

    Growing up, I still had that mindset in me, not until we passed by Bitan-ag Creek, one of the major waterways in Cagayan de Oro, where a perennial garbage problem persists. My father told me, “If there’s no trash there, there could be fish swimming here and you would take a picture of that.” What he said didn’t automatically sink into me but I had a slow yet impactful realization when I saw several waterways in other places being filled to the brim with trash. I realized that we are the ones who are making this world a dirty place to live in instead of being a steward of its beauty. Bitan-ag Creek could have been a habitat of lively fishes, but it wasn’t because the water there became stagnant due to trash.

    It was a major turning point in my mindfulness of my trash. I became more sensitive about my surroundings because I always thought that we were not the only ones who were living in this world, some animals thrive alongside us. In the end, it is not just about cleaning up after ourselves; it is about creating a world where every waterway can flourish, and every living being, above and below the water's surface, can thrive in harmony.