The Gift

By Cyrus Natividad

Here is a good advocacy on education for the new year. It reads: “Read for 20”. The advocacy is a corporate initiative launched by a major daily. It was intended to help bring back the Filipinos’ interest in reading and learning. The younger generations are more inclined to social media.

The decreasing habit of reading printed copy classical books, and even fundamental references is an apt observation. Most students are inclined to write reports and researches with the help of  the internet only. Except that it’s fast, final results may not be as good as one that was researched on the original books properly.
I would like to endorse the “Read for 20” advocacy because while we can do it anytime, anywhere on the more accessible computers and cellphones-hardcopy reading for me is more retentive. Twenty minutes of reading any printed magazine, newspaper, books or paperback every day is what it takes to develop interest in reading, and improving reading skills.

Last Christmas, I was reminded that we can always go back to being a child, Someone has given me a gift which I thought was a children’s story book, based on its cover. Perhaps due to my curious religious question about the advent, I deserved the “little” book entitled “The Expected One” by Scott James. The book satisfied my curiosity and answered the need for the spiritual missing links.

“The Expected One”- a hard-bound with similarity to “The Noah’s Ark” which was presented to me by my elementary school teacher is a valuable gift. Thanks Pastor Neil!
I read the book instead of watching a film- the usual fill-in activity at home before the clock strikes at 12 midnight. Then the noche-buena is served and everyone enjoys the traditional native feast.

Malipayon nga bag-ong tuig sa tanan!