REFLECTION PAPER

KWIN ALTHEA MARGES 12 STEM ALCARAZ

Jose Garcia Villa, a Filipino poet, critic, short story writer and painter, is an
important person to recognize during Filipino American History Month. One
of his masterpiece was “Footnote to Youth” is a 1932 short story set in the
Philippines. As I was reading his work, I learned a lot such as the message
of the story is the need for calm and patience before making life-altering
decisions. It encourages the young to not let hormones and emotions get
the better of them and then rue the consequences. As a part of the youth I
can say that Jose Garcia Villa’s work has a big impact especially for this
generation. These days youths tends to forget the importance of the
marriage. Marriage is a life-long commitment and it’s not just us who is
affected by this, it’s our parents also. For me this short story masterpiece is
not just a story, it was a lesson, a message for today’s generation. That
marriage isn’t a joke and we should prioritize our school first. As a youth we
should not rush things up. We should enjoy our teenage life first and think
deeper in making decisions in life that could affect our future. We should
shout out or speak out our opinions in life. We should not just keep our
opinions especially if that opinion of ours can change the mistakes of
others. But this story also leaves a question on my mind “Why do innocent
children need to suffer from the wrongs of their parents?”