A Rose Story “Happily Ever After” | Richard Diongson

Rose stood facing the crowd to that football banquet. She dropped her three by five cards on the floor. Frustrated and little embarassed she leaved into the microphone and simply said, “Im sorry, Im so jittery. I gave up beer for lent and this whiskey is killing me! I’ll never get my speech back in order so let me just tell you what I know.” As the audienced laughed, she cleared her throat and begin, “We do not stop playing because we are old; we grow old because we stop playing. There are only four secrets to stay young, being happy and achieving success. You have to find humor everyday. You’ve got to have a dream. When you lose your dreams, you die. We have so many people walking around who are dead and don’t even know it! There is a huge difference between growing older and growing up. If you are nineteen years-old and lie in bed for one full year and don’t do one productive thing, you will turn twenty years old. If I am eighty -seven years old and stay in bed for one full year and never do anything I will turn eighty-eight. Anybody can grow older. That doesn’t take any talent or ability, The idea is to grow up by always finding the oppoetunity in change. Have no regrets. The elderly usually don’t have regrets for what we did, but rather for things we did not do. The only people who fear death are those with regrets.”

And speaking in front of audience, she concluded her speech by courageously singing “The Rose”. Rose ended her speaking engagement that day with a challenge.

And now, what have you learned?

Tha moral of the story – it is never too late. We should achieve our goal in life and live it a challenge. Whatever obstacles we meet on the way, we should face it and do an action. We should understand the significance of “Living in precious life” or “happy living”. Happy living is not just for pleasure and fun. It is one that has reached a deeper level. It talks about facing reality, achieving your dreams and what you want to happen.

But really have you learned something? I hope so… (I encourage you to print the lines of Rose speech and read it everyday).

At the years end, Rose finished the college degree she had begun all those years ago. One week after the graduation Rose died peacefully in her sleep. Over two thousand college students attended her funeral in tribute to her.

Do I have to end this with: AND ROSE LIVED HAPPILY EVER AFTER?

Dialogue for development, papers from the First National Congress of Philippine Folklore and Other Scholars, Xavier University, Cagayan de Oro, December 27-30, 1972

Philippine social sciences and humanities review

Sonetos postumos

Papers from the Conference on the Standardisation of Asian Languages, Manila, Philippines, December 16-21, 1974

Skin voices faces