Rubber Bands
By: Maria Reylan M. Garcia
Rubber Bands, elastic bands as some people may call them. Those expandable loops made of rubber that at one corner may exist as a simpleton and a trivial commoner. Nothing so compelling, nothing so grandeur, a rubber band exist to do menial clerical work among with paper clips and fasteners, accompanied by adhesive plastic tapes. And yet, the simple and plain stretchy twine in the hands of imaginative five year olds can pass their playtime such as a jump rope or hopscotch could. It took me quite some time in my pre-school days to get the hang of forming a star using a rubber band. I was a slow learner that I have mastered the skill when I reached second year high school. But through the course of forming stars, double stars and even Tarzan houses, the rubber band taught me a valuable lesson: know your limits.
It may have been hundreds of colorful flexible bands that have stretched their way from my little finger to my thumb. It may have been also hundreds that have either slipped out like a slingshot or severed into a split. Every entity in this world has limits; even the renewable energy resources that carry the promise of an eternal source may in the farther future cease to be. Every rubber band in this world has limits, though it may deceive a false hope of expanding as far as the user decides, there will come a point when it shrieks in surrender and disunites. I see each person as a rubber band, at one corner we appear as a simpleton, thus evoking our desire to stand out and in the process we stretch and show off our elasticity. Yet, we fail to recognize the limit, the maximum, the boundary of our capability to stretch and form the most time-sparing double stars.
The training of personal development of any aspect may it be in muscles, mind or morals always starts with being aware of what you can and can't do. With these in mind, it's easier to start achieving the goal. Knowing your limits as to how far your muscle groups could contract, as to how heavy the weights you could bear, as to how far you can run on the track; these set the boundaries that would encourage focus and specialization. Knowing your limits as to how much subjects you can study in one sitting, as to how many years more of school you could put up to, as to how distant your research would cover; these fences the perimeter that would put you in isolation but with the hope of mastery. If a rubber would be made aware of its limits, I'm sure it'll save itself from extending to the point of no return. If man would make himself aware of his limits, I'm sure it'll save him from abusing his own self and prevent undue stress.
Limitations contribute to the individuality of each person; what he may be a failure at may actually be your best sport. Some strive to reach beyond their limitations in order to stand out higher than the rest. Yet, may we remember often that we go against nature, and if we become too ambitious, chances are we wouldn't hone ourselves to near perfection. Limitation does not contradict the essence of hope and dreams; it actually complements them by setting the dimensions in order to make such visions into reality. People give up, surrender and raise their white flags in disappointment because of that depression because they weren't able to actualize their plans. Maybe, just maybe, those plans were too much far greater than what can they possible concretize; those plans did not coincide with their strengths and weaknesses resulting to an overstretched severed rubber band.
I came to learn as a student nurse that in assisting patients to walk right after a surgery or prolonged bed rest, you must have to know the patient's current capabilities and any contraindications. You must have to plan the distance and duration of the walking exercises. You must have to set limits in order to attain the outcome of letting your patient walk. Because if limitations aren't set, because if rubber bands are overstretched, chances are all hell breaks lose and unwanted accidents may occur.
This is a simple lesson rubber bands teach us. It's a noble act to dream and explore all possibilities but it's a wise act to keep reality on your side and set the limits. If we overwork ourselves and divulge into the engulfing mist of overtime, we might risk our basic health or injure quality time with family. What more is the worth of overtime's pay when you'll spend it on hospitalization? What more is its worth when you go home to a sour wife whom you jeopardize your wedding anniversary for work? Nature has blessed us the ability to stretch like a rubber band. Let us first set the limits before carrying on with the stretching.
Life is indeed a rubber band.
Though how endless and spacious to explore,
It has its limits.
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