Riding on dove’s wings
In my long career as a journalist that spans almost 40 years, I have interviewed countless personalities – government leaders, academics, scientists, religious, farmers, students, and ordinary men and women in the streets. Those interviews were, of course, intended for print and broadcast media.
From the working press to the exciting world of the press office in a diplomatic environment, and up to an international nongovernment organization as now, such kinds of interviews were dime a dozen. How I influenced readers in the process of reportage governed by the tyranny of deadlines is another matter, suffice it to say that I have tried my very best to be as balanced and as plain as possible in discussing issues that affected our daily lives.
Throughout my career, I have never been interviewed by anybody with the same intention as that of a journalist, except for routine job interviews. Even then, what we say and how we say things depend entirely upon our ability to communicate and influence people.
Of late, a group of students from the University of the Philippines Los Banos (UPLB) interviewed me on the subject of development communication. I felt privileged speaking with bright young people, knowing for a fact that somehow, my three cents worth of perspectives may affect them as they begin to thread their paths outside the four walls of the academe.
After that interview, I unexpectedly received this email on November 26, 2008 from one of my interviewers. Here’s an excerpt:
“I would just liken to express my gratitude in behalf of my group mates for allowing us to have some time to speak with you. You helped us a lot in our exercise, and you sure gave more than what we needed, I really learned a lot from our conversation. I’m sure my group mates also did. I admire you for your passion in your work and in helping the country in general to achieve development…
“Like you, I also came from a poor family, and I am a lucky one to reach college in our family. I am graduating his semester, hopefully, and am planning to join the workforce that engages in achieving development…I am also sad with the current situation of the country, and with the situation of development communication as a field…I really appreciate all those you have taught us…I consider you more, Sir, as a mentor and not as an interviewee for our exercise…I hope we’ll meet again some time. Good luck to you, Sir.”
And then, I received a text message from another UPLB devcom student: “Hi Sir! Thanks for having accommodated us. We look up to you Sir, and indeed we learned a lot. Thanks so much. God bless”
“Thanks for sharing your knowledge to us. You are god-sent to us,” an intern from the Batangas State University said in another text message.
These brief encounters with undergraduate students gave me a renewed strength to trust and inspired me with hope on young people’s idealism. Such is the magic of sharing one’s knowledge, now matter how little.
At the end of the day, I felt like riding on a dove’s wings – spiritually rich and humbled by the experience
Juan Thinks! 