Name: Jeru Shallom A.

Manuel Subject: GE 1 Understanding the Self

Professor: Prof. Sam Bernales, Jr. Date: December 1, 2022
ESSAY: CHANGES UNDERGONE

An ancient Greek philosopher once said, “There is nothing permanent except

change. Change is constant, change is inevitable.” Like every other child, I was naïve,
innocent, and curious about what life is and what life could offer. One thing my “mama”
would remember about me as a child is that I asked many questions, question after
question. I think that is a normal thing a child does, but I am not ignoring the fact that my
mother remarkably noticed it among the three of us, and it depicted how I was curious
about things in the photo. Physically, I have grown a lot bigger and taller because, as a child,
they call me “Jerutot” (Jeru+putot), “putot” means small in terms of height. On my fashion
preferences, unlike before, I didn’t care even if my “mama” would clothe me feminine
clothes of my older sisters. But now, yes, I do mind and care but not really, and I keep things
simple and not an attention grabber.

From childhood until now, I’ve been a people person, outdoorsman, playful, active,
and loves to engage with others. I have two (2) older sisters, who all attend the same school
from elementary to high school, and inevitably, some teachers will say that I am different
from my two older sisters, who are so quiet and behave. I am the kind of elementary
student with the longest list for noisy, standing, and improper sitting. As I have observed, I
join groups, organization, and clubs that includes people relation and collaborative work,
which I developed my leadership and people relation skills. I still do those things, but now
that I have become older and stuff in life gets serious, I prefer going alone to quiet places
where there is silence and serenity.

We are a born-again Christian family, and I grew up in church, where I remember

attending Sunday schools, daily vacation bible schools (DVBS), and SKC activities. Later, I’ve
been a part of a worship team and an active youth leader in our church. However, it is not
assurance for me because having a relationship with God is a personal decision, and
salvation is not heritable by birth. Currently, I can say that I’m in a struggle holding in
between my Christian faith versus our perverted world, deceptive ideologies, and selfish
ambitions. Lastly, let me quote a bible verse from Jeremiah chapter 17, verses 7 and 8, that
said, “But blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him. They will
be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear
when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and
never fails to bear fruit.”