Whenever we feel down, we want to have at least one person whom can be our crying shoulder. Most probably, that person could be our mother, our father or both of our parents. However, in our society today, our parents would keep on nagging on us and would be the ones who make us feel neglected, make us feel lonely and make us feel worthless â instead of uplifting our minds, molding our talents and appreciating all the things that we have done, whether good or not that good.
Most of the parents nowadays are not attentive with their children anymore that they would always have no time for them, resulting to a lot of troubles. In the movie which was entitled âI Not Stupid Too,â it revolves around the lives of Tom Yeo, his younger brother Jerry and their friend Lim Chengcai, wherein all of them lack spending quality time with their parents, never had any praises coming from their parents, and even got deprived of something which they love to do.
Tom is a 15-year-old boy who is technologically inclined and a talented blogger, while 8-year-old Jerry enjoys the performing arts and has the lead role in his school concert. Mr. and Mrs. Yeo, their parents, would always have no time for them since they would always have busy schedules, leading to a strained relationship.
While on the other hand, Tomâs buddy, Chengcai, was raised alone by his ex-convict father, Huang Yiliang, who has the fighting skills that he inherited. In the very first part of the movie, it was already observed that Tomâs mother never did appreciate his talents. He had just been awarded and recognized in their school as a talented blogger, yet his mother, who was also a writer in one of the most prestigious magazines in Singapore, never felt grateful for. Thus, she even nagged about it and slapped on his face of how worthless is what he was doing.
As a teenager, I know for myself that in this time, or in teenage years, we become more vulnerable. It is a crucial stage for us since we are having our development in all our aspects as a person. This scene really hit me for I too, had experienced such before, and even now. I never heard any word coming from my Dadâs mouth saying that he appreciated any of my talents. Speaking straight to the point, I never heard anything from him because I don't have a father. Since grade 3, my mother decided to end her relationship with my father for it brings nothing good, it only becomes more toxic each day.
I remember when I was still a child, bruises were what I see on mama's face instead of make ups. Screams are the music I hear every day, scream of my mother asking for help, but no one was there to save her. Even I had done nothing... I can't help myself but to cry in the corner. Going back, since grade 3 until Grade 7, I was a consistent honor student. Modesty aside, I even graduated salutatorian when I was in grade 6 and I was also top 3 when I was in grade 7 in Bicol Regional Science High School. But whenever I see my classmates hugged by their parents during graduation and recognition, even those who haven't received any award, I still feel like a loser. I think to myself "What are these medals and awards for? I don't even have a father and a mother to hug me and say congratulations", because since I was a child, my mother works abroad to sustain the need of us four, her children.
There was the scene in the movie also wherein Jerry, was chosen as the main character in their drama, I guess. But whatâs on his mind was that according to his mother, extra-curricular activities are just a waste of time. Academics are what one must focus on. But still he pursued on what his talents are. Only that he never knew when he could tell the concert in which he was the lead character, could be attended by their parents for their parents were always busy.
When it comes to my mom, luckily, my mom is not that busy on her work. As a matter of fact, we would always have at least an hour or a day as our quality time. However, it is on me that I donât want to open up with them about my whereabouts in life for when I tell them something bad for instance, they would be scolding me instead of comforting me. Also with regards to the extra-curricular activities as a waste of time, it is not my momâs perception. Actually, she is the one who keeps on motivating me to participate in different co-curricular activities only that sometimes, I prefer not to since for me, itâs just a waste of time. Yes balance between academics and these activities is important but I choose to just focus on only one thing.
On the other hand, Chengcai, was always scolded by his father for being lazy in school to the point that he was not studying well and even not doing his assignments. He would always fail in exams or straightforwardly fail in class. And when he had first done his homework, in their class, he was still scolded by his teacher, Mr. Fu. He was embarrassed by his teacher in front of the class. Mr. Fu told him that his preparation was just the same as doing nothing at all. He then walked out of the room and so as his classmates had done as well. Mr. Fu then saw three young ladies and asked them what their scores are in the exam. When the scores were so low, he then scolded the girls and slapped on their faces how dumb they are for not passing the exam wherein fact he even bought dictionaries for his students to learn well. Of course, as a student, the teenagers would feel bad. Until another teacher came and talked to Mr. Fu. He told Mr. Fu that in times like that, in times like the students are having low grades, instead of bringing them down, try to say to them that they can do better than that. The other teacher told him that he must never forget the key to learning. And the key that he was referring to was not to look at the flaws of a person but look at his/her good deeds. Donât look at the dark side when you can look at the bright side right?
This goes the same with one of my experiences also. Sometimes at home, whenever I did something wrong, the people at home would keep on scolding me not knowing that I am fragile even if I am a man. And most of the time, whenever I feel dragged down, I would not aim high, I would not make such struggles as an encouragement but as a discouragement already. That is why most of the time, the love of my life serves as my motivation when at home, what they all have about me are their judgments. Instead of dragging me down, my girlfriend boosts up my confidence. She is also the reason why even if I think I donât have any worth in this world, I still keep on going.
Going back, in the movie, during a school check for mobile phones, Tom was caught with a pornographic VCD. As his teacher confiscates it, Chengcai made a mischievous remark that triggered the teacher into slapping him, leading to an exchange that escalated into a massive fight. The principal then decided to expel Chengcai, while Tom receives a public caning for his part in the fight. For me, caning someone would not stop a wrong deed of a student. It would never be a solution to any problem. Come to think of it. If you would cane a student, specifically in public, would that stop him on repeating the same mistake? Definitely no, it wonât. It would not stop the wrong doings but it would just delay someone in doing it. As a matter of fact, the person would just get ashamed since he/she is caned in public. Or worse, when he/she gets better, he/she would plan to do something bad against that of who caned him/her. Even I for myself, I get caned too. I even get slapped on my face literally too. And honestly, it really feels bad for the person who does this to me is just either my mom or dad. But doing such would never get me disciplined. I mean hurting someone physically is never a solution.
Thus, it is very damaging to a student, especially children or teenagers to be caned in public, or hurt through words or physically in a public. With a stroke of the cane, the harsh words or the hand, their self esteem, ego, pride and confidence are stripped away. How will they face their peers after that? They would never want to show their faces again to anyone who was there when they were caned. Also, are we teaching them how to behave better or are we throwing them into darker pits? In fact, it is an issue to be reflected even to the Ministry for in the golden rule, we all know that âDo unto others as you would have them do unto youâ. This means only means that we should never do anything to someone which we do not want them to do unto us since we must only do whatever we wanted to do unto us by others.
However, due to the expulsion and caning, Tom and Chengcai later joined a local street gang and as their initiation, they were forced to shoplift an iPod. However, they were caught by two conmen with connections to the street gang posing as police detectives, who demand that they pay the fine $2000 within two days or be arrested. On the other side, while Mr. Yeo was tutoring his sons, he tells them that people will pay $500 for an hour of his time. Jerry, who wanted his parents to come to his school concert, started saving money, but he couldnât save enough and eventually resorted to stealing. After he is caught, his furious father repeatedly caned him and scolded him, but forgave him still when the boy explained that he just wanted $500 to "buy" an hour of his father's time. This immediately made Mr. and Mrs. Yeo read Tom's blog and realized how unappreciated and unworthy their children feel. Upon understanding their children, the Yeo parents watched Jerry's concert, much to his delight. Just as this scene, parents must never ever accuse their children of doing something wrong wherein fact, the things done by their children have a story behind. Not because parents are the ones who gave birth to us, their children, it already means that they know us already. This is not true all and most of the time. Just like me, my parents wouldnât know that last time, I almost committed suicide because of their accusations and judgments in me which were not true at all. I really couldnât help it but to cry and to think of the act of killing myself just to ease the pain that I felt. I know that killing oneâs self is a mortal sin for in the first place, only God can take away our lives from us for He was the One Who created us. But because of the soreness and burden that I felt in my soul and in my heart, I wasnât able to think well that in that moment, in just one snap, there will be no Rading II in the world anymore. I even though to myself if I were dead, would anyone miss me? Or I guess they would be much happier for they would not be having a worthless son anymore?
As the saying goes âNever judge a book by its cover.â So parents must never just their children about something which for them is not right, when in the very first place, they donât even know the story behind their childrenâs situation.
So in the story, since Tom and Chengcai were unable to raise $2000 themselves, they robbed an old lady of her necklace, but regret their action and tried to return it to her. A struggle occured, and Chengcai bumped into several gangsters, while Tom's mobile phone falls out of his pocket as he was tackled by cruel people. The phone then hits the ground, accidentally calling Mr. Yeo, who was currently doing a presentation about 3G phones for a contract worth $3 million. Instead of prioritizing his work, he rushed off to the scene and pleads the old lady to give Tom a second chance. When the police arrived, the old lady told them that she made a prank call, which meant to give Tom another chance. Sadly, I never experienced being the priority of my parents now that I am already a teenager. I am the third of four siblings. But it seems like my momâs favorite is not me. Well of us four, only those three siblings of mine are those whom she would always buy whatever they want. Well of course, I would not deny the fact that I still feel jealous of what mom is up to.
After that scene, two days later, Mr. Yeo met the conmen and gave them thousands of dollars of fake money. The conmen were then arrested by real police officers who have been waiting just near them and then Mr.Yeo heard the news of the big success with his company, for having the title of the project, which both of them remained overjoyed. With this, I can say that family still matters the most. Families should matter the most, before anything else.
Nonetheless, the gangsters whom Chengcai bumped into earlier beat him up. Mr. Lim, his father, who happens to be nearby, tried to protect his son, but suffered head trauma after being pushed down the stairs. He was taken to a hospital, critically injured. On his deathbed, Mr. Lim told Chengcai that he loves him and that he should pursue his talent for fighting and then his father died. Witnessing this scene, the principal who was never disobeying the rules of the school was touched and allowed Chengcai to return to school. The boy eventually became an internationally recognized martial artist. Just like what the teacher had done, parents must also do the same. Or everyone must also do the same. Everyone must give and must be given chances to prove their abilities, worth, talents and other things which are deprived of them or lacking from them. The teacher who was once strict and inappreciative, Mr. Fu, already got the key that what the other teacher was pertaining to for he already recognizes the good things such as the talents of his students more than their flaws.
Often, we think that we, children, are right in whatever we do. We neglect our parentsâ opinions, turn a deaf ear on them and forget what they tell us. We think that what we do is always right. We never believe on what they say to us.
We often want others to change especially your parents but have we thought of changing ourselves first? No, right? For we only see their mistakes, not ours. We feel embarrassed when our parents are with us especially when we are hanging out with our friends, but have we even thought of the reason why they want to be with us? No, right? Because we only see them as someone who stops us from doing what we want. They are just with us to deprive us with our freedom.
But canât we see it from the bright side that they only want the best for us? That they donât want us to be like them so they deprive us on doing things which we think are good. They only want whatâs best for us, whatâs for our own good sake.
And so as it goes the same with you, or parents. You want us to be just like you but never did you know how hard it is for us to try to do it. You want us to follow your ways but have you even followed ours? I mean have you ever tried to understand us when we talk? You think also that you are always right, although at some point you really are. But have you even cared of what we feel is right?
As teenagers, fitting in to our peers or in our society is really a hard thing for us to do. Coping up with a lot of challenges, trials, and struggles are really difficult for us to handle, especially if you werenât there beside us to guide us.
The world wherein we live in now is really what I think is a test of God. It is for us to be tested on how we choose our paths and how we walk our paths. It is whether we go to the right path or not. It is whether we do good things or bad. But one thing is for sure â the give and take relationship. We, as children, must try our very best to relate with our parents, and so as for our parents to do the same thing on us. Itâs like you get to know about me more and I will get to know about you more as well.
Just like us, teenagers, our parents are also experiencing struggles. It is like how hard our dad tries to earn his money, how hard our mom tries to cope with the load of household chores at home. We are all the same. We might have different religions, cultures, nationalities, genders and many more aspects, but all of us have equal rights to anything. Itâs just a matter of support that we need and of course, we need the most powerful weapon to make things all possible, and that is our prayers to the Lord. So we must all bear in our minds that we must appreciate our parents while we still can, for we'll never know what lies tomorrow. And never ever take a look at oneâs flaws. Never ever point out the mistake of a person and instead, focus on his/her good deeds.
