SURIGAO CITY (MindaNews / 5 Aug)—August is often considered the scariest month of the year—it’s Ghost Month! It’s an August thing, anyway. But should we be scared? I don’t think so.
For me, August has always been a month crowded with anticipation for what lies ahead for the rest of the year, promising renewal and warmth. It’s as if this month keeps me going and as if my heart beats with excitement again.
With August, I am reminded of Taylor Swift: To live for the hope of it all. I believe hope is the greatest equalizer, fostered by this month, offering a good vantage point for reconnecting with my dreams and sizing up the rebuilding of my passion, despite the journey ahead never ceasing to be scary.
In connection, when I was in college, our academic year would typically start in August (perhaps it’s the same month as most schools in the country start), which is a point in time when the need to rekindle the not-so-distant learnings from the past, imagine the depths of possibilities, and overcome familiar woes in schooling as well as the life afterward daily.
Now, as I pursue my master’s degree, our classes are set to begin sometime this month and I aim to follow a similar path as when I was in college. With these associations with August, I see this month with a profound sense of hope; a fresh start for new opportunities and beginnings as well, which also means welcoming what was, what is, and what will be.
Speaking more about August, it’s appealing to think that with this month, we are reminded that the “ber” months are likely approaching so fast (that in just a sleep away, we could already hear Jose Mari Chan’s iconic songs), which inherently a launchpad for most Filipinos to eagerly anticipate and go the extra mile in celebrating Christmas or the holiday season—all too often described as the merriest time of the year.
But right now, it’s still August. It can be scary for some, and I know that a lot of people out there are going through a rough time at this moment, this month, including myself. But I’d like to think I’m more on the exciting side of it. How about you?
(Jhon Steven C. Espenido, 23, writes from Surigao City and is an AB English Language graduate from Surigao del Norte State University.)