All of a sudden, it is October! And it is Co-op Month again! We were locked down last March but it seemed it was just yesterday. It has been seven months since the world stopped turning. We were immobilized, frozen in time, but the days in the calendar keep changing without much attention from most of us. Like a bear in hibernation, we awoke and realized, it is almost the end of the year!
Every October, just like the famous Oktoberfest in Germany, it has been a tradition for co-ops to gather together for a day of festivities in every town, every province and in every region. Planning usually starts around April. Because of the pandemic, there was no sufficient preparation for a celebration for this year but definitely, there are good reasons to thank God for. Despite the fact that business transactions were greatly affected, our co-ops were able to thrive and survive during these difficult times. Most of them even remained open during the uncertain periods of ECQ to provide the needed services to their members and in the community.
They say man is a social being and feel the need to socialize. Since social gathering, especially for a large crowd, is not yet permitted, virtual meetings have become the trend. People still found a way to come together. It may not be as exciting as a physical meeting but at least, it accomplishes its purpose. A few co-ops were able to hold their General Assembly meetings online. Board meetings also became virtual. Even our co-op month celebration has to be virtual.
Being the ever resilient Filipinos that we are, we normally adapt. We are hopeful that everything goes back to normal so we can move on to the next chapter of our co-op lives. Still, we are thankful that majority of us remain hopeful that better days are coming. There are people who even find humor in these recent events no matter how serious the situation is.
Depression is real but I believe it is caused by not accepting reality and the inability to leave the past behind and move on. When we just surrender to the things beyond our control, the sooner we can recover from these negative events.
Recently, I hear people say, year 2020 was just wasted. They say it passed like the wind and went nowhere. Perhaps, they were disappointed that they were unable to accomplish something. But I disagree. I can say that I was quite productive during this pandemic. I actually put those previous months into good use. As a said previously, let us take time to learn from life. It is always teaching us.
And sometimes, we should not only become better at what we do. We should also strive to become better people. We should not only be good at our work, profession or in our businesses. We should also become good people, responsible co-op members and law-abiding citizens.
Let us not despair for what happened this year. Let us be thankful that we are safe, alive and kicking. Let us pray for those brethren who were infected that they will recover. Let us support the business of our friends and relatives who are just trying to make a living. Let us uplift the spirits of those who became jobless, the daily wage earners who are living from day to day. And that is how to become better people.
Happy Co-op Month to all!
