Me After You, CMLI

            

            

            Before the CMLI Camp, I was not sure if I can do it. I was scared. I will do something I haven’t done in life, and one of them was being alone for five days, no parents, and no Mama always reminding me to fix my bed, fold my clothes, put my stuff in place or even brush my teeth.

            I was hiding in the shadows. Then I remembered something I have read somewhere, that life is a test. And I accepted the challenge. And I know it wasn’t easy to live by yourself, but you have to try. You just don’t know what could actually happen. Everything we do is a risk. And we have to be strong to take the risk. Or forever be regretful of not taking that big leap.

            Think of reality. Don’t expect that something wrong might happen. Mama always tells me that when you think that something might go wrong, it may actually go wrong. She calls it “self-fulfilling prophecy”. So I stopped worrying. Worry could kill you. It kills the fun. It kills whatever chance you could get to actually learn new stuff.

            Think instead of happy things like: You will learn new things, meet facilitators who will encourage us to explore, have new friends, and much much more. See! 

I know from the start that it will be hard and I might commit some mistakes, which I did. I lost my food stub and fave hat. I forgot my hair conditioner in the bath and was not able to join my last LitMus practice, but I learned from my mistakes. I think I will have a better shot of the future – future camps, I mean.

Last time, I was just an ordinary girl, but right now, after CMLI, I proudly represent a gist of who I really am – I am Gabrielle Yumi B. Josue, more independent, an adventurer, sort of a risk-taker, a CMLIer, confidently ME!