Colors tell a lot about people. The theme of the clothes you wear can actually project how would you be feeling in general for the whole day – say earth color combination tells a bright disposition for the day or dark tones exhibit a wary outlook. Psychology has provided us with a lot of interpretations with regards to the choices we make; but like many other branches of science, it’s not absolutely accurate and true to all.
The moment Carlo came back to Cebu after his OJT in Surigao, we immediately scheduled a dayhike. Impulsive as we both are, in less than five minutes we agreed to hike Babag Range by ten in the morning of the same day. I requested a chill hike – one that does not require running after a certain period of time, one that permits us to talk and get updated with each other. Compared to our practice hike for Baloy, Carlo and I worked on a steady pace this time. In between ascents, he shared his experiences on one of Surigao’s mining corporation – its programs, production, and the daily struggle of every individual working on site just to survive and feed their families. It is from him that I learned how gold, silver, copper, and all other minerals are gathered and separated through various processes. All the while I thought miners just look for gold bars and nuggets, because, hey, that’s how they show it on TV. HAHA. See how media blinded us? HAHA. Yes, I know, you might be protesting against his line of work, because you know… mining; but more than anything else, we must also consider those who have tried their best to follow the guidelines set by the country. It’s impossible to eliminate mining in the country; it’s one of the backbone of our economy. Even the thing you’re using right now to read this blog is a product of mining. Of course, we should be vigilant against those who have been abusing the authority given to them to extract the resources of the country and those who haven’t done their share of work towards sustainability, environmental protection, and safety and security around the community. There are various aspects that needed to be look into before making a generalization.
We arrived at the summit past noon and much to my surprise, we were the only hikers in the area. Then I realized, it wasn’t a weekend were a lot of hikers and trail runners make a stop on site to relax and enjoy a cold bottle of Sparkle. After we had our lunch, we took a power nap. The cold breeze, astounding mountain view, and melancholic music of Beatles and Air Supply lulled us into sleep.
By four in the afternoon, we decided to exit via Busay – passing through Chalet Hill and Temple of Leah. We were casually chatting when Carlo stopped replying to my inquiries. When I turned around to check on him I found him taking photographs of the plants and sceneries which I didn’t took time to notice. He showed his photos and they were absolutely beautiful! No wonder he became a hall of famer for a lot of awards he won for mobile photography. However, while going over his photos, I noticed how he much he liked manually setting his phone to make the photos appear darker than the actual sight. For someone whose photos celebrated so much with brightness and colors, his photos were the total opposite to mine. He played with dark tones, shadows, and contrasts – making a wonderful masterpiece that goes beyond what is automatically perceived by ordinary eyes. Then it dawned to me: sometimes, we have become to accustomed with being always in a hurry to arrive to our destination that we have forgotten to appreciate the simple things in life. How many sunsets, sunrises, and stolen glances have we missed just because we got too occupied with a lot of things? How many unsettling things have we entertained only to dismiss the beautiful opportunities in life? Sometimes we get too pressured when all the negativities seem to devour us. It becomes easier to complain, to give up, and to question the universe on why of all people we have to experience such “bad thing”. But then again, we have to experience the darkness of the night so as to see the most beautiful stars. Light is easy to love, show someone your darkness and see how your true colors shine.
Dakilanglaagan 