I was heading home in the morning coming from a grocery store in our town when I decided to walk than to take a jeepney. While walking, a tricycle passed me by and honked me. The tricycle driver was our neighbor and he chided me, 'Why are you walking? You could take a ride or even use your dad's car!' in return I said to him 'No, thanks anyway.' then away I go with walking.
Thinking about what happened in that morning has suddenly gave me a bit of reflection of simplicity. It is not that I don't want to take a ride or use my dad's car but it's a matter of taking that option to walk is convenience for me. I didn't decline but instead I chose what is simple thing to do and that is to walk. I have been walking for several times, from our house to the church, to school or to our town plaza and elsewhere. But of course, If I do want to go to far places I would be using a car. It gives me a certain joy of appreciating my surroundings and at the same time, meeting and seeing people in my neighborhood. The opportunity to meet and greet them is simple joy that i could experience and perhaps an opportunity also to get to know my place and its people even better. Aside from that, it is good for the health!
I remember the story of then Fr. Chito Tagle and now Archbishop Luis Antonio Tagle of the Archdiocese of Manila whenever he gives a talk or seminar, he would prefer walking than taking transportation in his parish. That alone can give him a time to get to know better his parishioners. I admire his simplicity and picking his examples as my model of simplicity. He is now an archbishop of Manila, full of humility and simplicity that one can take as an inspiration to live in a simple life!
