By Izah Morales
INQUIRER.net
WHEN you hear bells ringing in summer, it means Mamang Sorbetero is just a few meters away selling his dirty ice cream. But when the bell rings in June, it may be a wedding bell for couples or a school bell for elementary and high school students.
As June marks its start on the calendar, you bid goodbye to your companions — pillow and bed. And, even if it is not music, your ears have to get used to hearing the alarm clock.
Hearing the school bell ring makes you run so as not to be late for the morning assembly. But when the clock strikes past 7 a.m., it means that you would be falling in line at the back of your tallest classmate. And as you walk toward the end of the line, the teacher’s eyes follow you. And if those eyes can talk, it would be saying, “You’re late!”
That’s why waking up when the rooster crows at the break of dawn is like eating ampalaya. It is good to eat but hard to chew.
Listening to a long lecture makes you sleepy. But then the teacher knows the best alarm clock. “Get one whole sheet of paper, long quiz!” Surely, you will become as alert as a military man. And if you have no paper or ballpen, you will then smile at your seatmate and say, “Pahingi naman ng papel.” If you are like a snail in answering, you will again here the familiar line, “Finished or not finished, pass your papers!”
In the middle of the day, you are again waiting for the bell to ring for your stomach to be filled with a sumptuous meal. The bell rings again ending your out-of-the-blue chat with your classmates and friends. Then you will again be waiting for the clock to strike at 5 p.m. and for the bell to ring. You will then hear what you have been waiting to hear, “Class dismissed!”
When June approaches, it is like the familiar bell that you don’t want to hear when you are thinking that you will become a busy bee again. You will once again say hello to cups of coffee to keep you going while finishing a project to be submitted the following day. You will once again be best friends with your books and handouts while cramming for a mind-boggling exam. You will once again rush assignments before the deadline.
Stress and pressure will be once again be your breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
But when you think of school as a beehive of honey, you will then be looking forward to your weekly allowance, your timeless chats with your classmates, your perky teacher, and thought-provoking discussions inside and outside the classroom.
Though school may sharpen you like a pencil, it is where you learn not only the theoretical but also the practical aspects of life.
