Blessed Moments - 1

Every day, God gives us, as well as the sun, a moment when it is possible to change anything that is causing us unhappiness. The magic moment is the moment when a "yes" or a "no" can change our whole existence. Every day, we try to pretend that we do not see that moment, that it does not exist, that today is the same as yesterday and that tomorrow will be the same too. However, anyone who pays close attention to his day will discover the magic moment. It might be hidden in the instant that we put the key in the door in the morning, in the moment of silence after supper, in the thousand and one things that appear to us to be the same. This moment exists, a moment in which all the strength of the stars flows through us and allows us to perform miracles.

Paulo Coelho



More than the moments being magic moments as defined by Paulo Coelho in this quotation, I believe that these moments can be described as blessed. Blessed, because they are life - changing in a good way.

Taking time to look back at my teaching journey (or adventure for the most part) in response to students wanting to find out how I found myself in this vocation, I would definitely go back to that blessed (and magical) moment when my mentor, Dr. Zamora, who happened to be my MBA Statistics professor, asked me if I would consider teaching part-time while pursuing my MBA. It wasn't an outright "Yes" but I found myself contemplating and discerning whether this would be an opportunity I would like to pursue.

Two experiences stood out in my quest to see if I would pursue Dr. Zamora's offer. First, every time we would review for an exam in either Statistics or Operations Research, it would always be my classmate May Ann (who happened to be an Instructor in BA) and I who would handle the review - solving problems and explaining their solutions step by step. A lot of my classmates would tell me "Manny, why don't you consider teaching like May Ann? You definitely know how to explain things in a clear and understandable manner." Second, there were conversations I had with my best friend, Joseph, about this possible opportunity. In one of those conversations he pointed out something that I realized had a significant impact on the decision I would be making: "Manny, your mom is a professor in the University and so was your dad at one point in his career. Haven't you considered the possibility that teaching runs in your family?"

These two experiences were definitely significant inputs in the decision - making process I went through. Looking back, I believe these were also blessed (and magical) moments the Lord allowed me to experience to bring me to the decision I made - the decision to teach part - time starting my 2nd year in my MBA studies. And that decision changed the direction my career path would take, a change I am grateful to the Lord for, a change that has given me so much even as I desired to give of myself in inspiring and encouraging young people to cherish the journey of learning! Thank God for such blessed moments! :-D