The window frames a bright, blue sky today. My mood, however, would best resemble a dim, rainy day. I hear a ping in the background, “Here’s the link for the Zoom class." I felt the room grow dimmer despite the sunshine from my window.
Another ping, “Filipino boy kills himself over online learning”. Heavy... sad for the loss of such a young life. Thoughts ran through my head. Dreams, goals, and plans no more. Robbed in an instant by a rope and suicidal thoughts, all in the pursuit of education for a brighter future. I stared ahead for a long time, only awakened by the scent of wet soil. I sighed. How easily the weather had changed. At least the rain understands.
Due to the unexpected pandemic that had swept all over the world, education was forced to modernize its approach. Drastic and sudden changes are implemented and pushed to students and teachers with barely any time for preparation and adjustment. Everyone is struggling. Everyone is trying to cope, trying to catch up with the change. And despite one of the obvious morals that we should have learned from this pandemic, we still forgot to slow down.
If there is something more deadly than the virus itself, it would be the mental challenges that come with it. Vulnerable people had become even more vulnerable. People are stuck in a small circle, sometimes all by themselves. Sometimes it’s difficult to breathe, it’s difficult to move and to think. Sometimes you have no one but your thoughts. Sometimes the only way out is a blade or a rope.
This young student was unfortunately one of the many victims of the situation he was born in and the situation that is happening now. The boy said to his brother, “I know we are poor. All these requirements would just add to our burden. I’m sorry.”
We could have listened hard. We could have been more understanding. We could have slowed down. Mental health had been in the back seat for so long; silent, and faceless. Now that we are seeing the rise of the different faces of mental illness through the stories of the people that it had sadly taken away, it’s time to stand up for it. It’s time to talk about it, make it a part of our decisions, and give it a voice. It’s time to listen.
Silence. I look out the window, and the rain had stopped. The window frames a dark, gray sky.
”Hello, class.”
Words by Kiziah Magbanua
Photo by Khim Raices Khan Satuita
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