Coolio, are you?

You’re cool. What does this phrase really mean to me? Mean to us? Personally, I think being ‘cool’ is something extraordinary. Extraordinary in my eye, of course! Maybe helping someone in a good way or figuring out something in a not so easy way. Yep, they’re cool. I just don’t understand why other people think they are one when they actually hurt or step on other’s foot. Let me share you a story. I’m not sure if it’s lame but that event was the one that provoked me to think about this.

The other day, we (me and the fam without dad) went to the Plaza to grocery shop and buy some awesome stuff. My sister bought the Harry Potter collection and I bought some chocolate. Yaay! After buying those, my sister bought the ingredients she needs for her Home Economics practical assessment. I decided to stay outside the grocery shop because I was asked to look after the other things we bought. I sat there alone. Bored. So I stood up! Oh, an ice cream shop 7 steps from where I was sitting. I bought cookies and cream, a happy kid indeed! When I came back to where I was sitting, a family (mother, daughter, son [I’m assuming they are siblings]) came to have a seat. The girl was about 7 years old and the boy was probably 10. He looked condescending so it made me think that he’s the elder one. Before leaving to go inside the grocery shop, the mother told the two to not shout and don’t ever fight. She left. Both of them were holding a plastic bag. The boy took out a pair of ballet flats; the girl reacted and shouted, “Hey! They’re mine! The boy didn’t do anything. Actually he did! He moved closer to where his sister was sitting. I think it was on her arm? He hit her. And using those pair of ballet flats, he hit her in the head. The girl just kept on shouting on him. He said, “Give me my shirt!” (since the girl was holding a plastic bag with his shirt) She gave it in exchange for her shoes. He held the shirt in his hands but didn’t give the shoes. He went back to his seat holding the flats. She kept on screaming. The boy dropped the shoes on the floor and told his sister. “Look! I don’t have it!” Scream. Scream. Scream from her. He picked up the shoes and using that, he just continually hit her. After every hit, I can sense, he’s trying to look at me so proud as if saying, “Hey, look at me. I’m suuuuuuuuh cool hitting her.” Everytime he tries to appear in my eyes, I deflect my view. NO. YOU ARE NOT COOL. What makes you think that you are some BADASS being so awesome violating your sister’s right to just be silent on the side? Seeing that, I started to question the mother – how did you raise these children? I probably asked the wrong question. How did the society, the people around them define what’s to be proud or not? Disrespectful much? PLEASE. NO.

I’m lucky (like what I always say). Even though I have a brother who’s nearly like that, he’s still a good man. Even though I have this huge gap between me and my parents, I know that I was raised really well and taught how to act privately and publicly. I know I’m that “Hey, I’m cool” person but not in a way that that boy has shown. And even though I know that I am a little bit annoying (I feel it myself!) I know, somehow, I’m cool in my own way.

I love my cool friends – they always there for me, I know that even I annoy them, I still find myself being in that position where I am advised by them and majority of them are God-fearing people. I love my cool sister. She does the same – being with me through ups and downs, taking a photo with our seedy/wacky/whatever face and letting me know that I’m loved.