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00:05 Hello, Kapuso! I am Dr. Anna Tuazon, your storyteller psychologist at Shareko.
00:11 We asked you if there is an age limit to our dreams.
00:16 We will talk about your dreams with the 62-year-old bar passer last year, Atorney Rosela Calacala.
00:25 Good morning, Dr. Anna. Good morning to all of our countrymen, wherever the world may point us.
00:35 Thank you, Lord! Oh my God!
00:43 How did your dream of becoming a lawyer start?
00:49 I never thought of studying law when my children were still young and when they were studying.
01:00 When they were already studying, I became a vacancy.
01:05 So, every day after my children finished their studies and had a job,
01:14 I would play with my computer after I got home from work.
01:22 I thought, "For the rest of my 20 years, for the rest of my life, will I just play?"
01:31 That's what I thought.
01:33 And another thing, I am a teacher. So, I told myself, "I don't have a course that I can finish reading and reading."
01:45 That's one of the reasons why I studied.
01:51 And then I saw some senior citizens who were not busy with their lives.
01:58 And then I could help other people, especially us.
02:04 We don't have a lawyer who stays with us because they are still young.
02:15 So, they have more opportunities in the city.
02:20 That's why I thought of studying law, Dr. Anna.
02:26 But this is not your first time studying, right?
02:30 You graduated and became a CPA.
02:34 Actually, I noticed that in your story.
02:38 You had a lot of jobs, different jobs, different hats.
02:45 You're not just a mother. You're not just taking care of your child.
02:48 You also do makeup.
02:50 So, how are your... Are you still not tired of studying?
02:56 Studying is not tiring when it becomes your lifestyle, Dr. Anna.
03:02 So, every day you are seeking something to learn.
03:06 Dr. Anna, actually, I am humbly setting aside my ego.
03:14 Because you said that I am an achiever.
03:19 I think I passed all the civil service examinations.
03:24 So, I am studying those before I take them so that I can pass them right away.
03:30 So, I was curious because you said that it started with emptiness.
03:36 Like, "Okay, your children are okay."
03:39 Like, "What am I going to do?"
03:41 For you, it's unique, right? It's not common.
03:44 "Okay, I'll take the law exam." Law is one of the hardest studies to do.
03:49 And the bar exam is one of the hardest exams one can take in their lives.
03:55 So, you can study leisurely.
04:01 You can read leisurely as well.
04:04 So, how did you think, "Okay, I'll pass this even if it's hard?"
04:09 When I learned about the law course, my friend told me,
04:21 "Ma'am, you should study law."
04:23 I said, "I'm already studying law."
04:25 But, of course, she's still young.
04:27 I said, "Yes, I'm studying law instead of playing games."
04:36 I have to do it at the shortest possible time because I'm already late.
04:43 So, if I'm still playing games, my studies,
04:50 it will take me six years to eight years.
04:55 And if I still can't take the bar exam, it will take another ten years.
05:00 That's the use of being a lawyer at such age. I'm already 70.
05:06 It would be too late.
05:08 So, I did everything from day one until I took the bar exam
05:18 so that I could finish my law school for four years
05:25 and then take one in the bar.
05:27 I did everything, even praying to God right at the last minute of my exam.
05:38 I did that so that I could become a lawyer.
05:42 So, I did not waste any time.
05:45 But, of course, I have obligations, social obligations, to do with my classmates.
05:51 So, I can't ignore them when they're here in our place.
05:56 But outside, I really ignore them.
05:59 That I have done for four years.
06:02 I delegate everything to my husband, cooking, feeding him,
06:09 he drives me, everything.
06:12 So that I can do my studies.
06:18 I also have a job, ma'am.
06:21 So, my eight hours are spent in the office.
06:25 The rest of my time, while I'm closed, my eyes are open.
06:31 I'm studying.
06:33 Doc Anna, you're old but you're still studying.
06:38 So, how are you since you passed the bar exam?
06:42 Doc Anna, this time, I'm still employed at LGU.
06:49 But I'm asking for limited practice so that I can help Jones.
06:55 Because Jones is a first-class municipality.
07:01 The young lawyers, they don't want to stay there because their opportunity is limited.
07:09 Unlike if they're in the city, they have a lot of opportunities.
07:15 And so, I think this is an opportunity to serve my fellow citizens as a notary public.
07:24 Or as a litigation lawyer.
07:28 Because they can't get close to anyone else, but they go to the city.
07:34 So, I'm just there because I'm old.
07:38 I don't have a dream of going to the big cities to practice, Doc Anna.
07:47 Yeah.
07:48 That's also one of the advantages.
07:51 You took your time, right?
07:53 We matured before we went to law school.
07:56 Because when you're young, you think, "I need to earn money to be a lawyer.
08:00 I need to earn a lot of money."
08:02 Now, you don't have any pressure to do that.
08:04 My children are not yet done, Doc Anna.
08:08 I'm just thinking about having food every day.
08:14 So, we asked our fellow citizens what they think, if there is an age limit to achieve our dreams.
08:22 One of our fellow citizens said, "Age should never be a barrier when pursuing your dreams.
08:28 With unwavering determination, passion, and willingness to learn and grow, individuals can achieve their goals at any stage in life."
08:37 We have two more citizens who agree.
08:40 One of them said, "There is no age limit to achieve your dreams because your only limit is yourself. So, believe."
08:47 Even though you said that every time you open your eyes, you're studying, did you enjoy the intensity?
08:56 Doc Anna, ever since I was young, I've had a hard time in life.
09:03 So, the fact that I had a hard time in law school or anything that comes with it,
09:10 it's normal for me because I had a hard time when I was still studying.
09:19 I was able to overcome my challenges when I was younger than when I was in law school.
09:27 So, the challenges that I faced when I was older were part of being alive.
09:35 So, I think that's one of the advantages, especially when it comes to studying.
09:40 If our dream is to study, to become a doctor, an engineer, a lawyer,
09:46 or an academic, in a way, when we're more mature, older, and in a way,
09:53 you've made sure that your state of life is better.
09:58 Because if you did this when you were young, it might actually be harder.
10:03 Yes, Doc Anna. And Doc Anna, to be honest, law school is very hard.
10:10 And I always tell my children, "This subject is so hard, I can't understand it."
10:17 My children would say, "Mom, you're not the only one who's having a hard time.
10:25 All law students have a hard time. Don't worry, you'll be okay."
10:30 And then, "Mom, you got in, you got into it. You should be able to defend yourself."
10:39 I have to go on because of their push, push, push, push.
10:47 That's the good thing about being poor.
10:52 Even if they don't want you to, if you want to, and that's your ambition,
10:59 then do it because that's what you want.
11:02 I have a classmate, and my mom herself said, "You're old, you can't study."
11:08 I said, "I want to study."
11:11 So whatever they do to me, even if they pull me down because I want to study,
11:17 whatever they do, I'll really study, Doc Anna.
11:21 But my mom, Doc Anna, died before I took the bar.
11:27 She died February 14, 2023, just before my graduation.
11:33 My graduation is June 17, 2023.
11:36 So you still went through grief, right? Your mother passed away.
11:41 Yes.
11:42 That must be hard.
11:44 Very, very hard.
11:46 Because every time I remember my mom, I cry.
11:52 But I said, "This shouldn't be..."
11:55 Because our life, I have to accept that death is part of being alive.
12:03 That's what I always say. My mom, she has to go, she's old.
12:10 So whenever I think of my mom, I always say,
12:15 "My mom is also having a hard time if she's alive."
12:19 So I have to accept that she has to go.
12:22 Because for me, if that's what I always think, my mom, if she's gone,
12:30 I won't be able to do anything.
12:33 But when in fact, in my future as a lawyer, I can do something.
12:38 So I have to accept grievance as part of the challenge to become a lawyer.
12:45 Has there been a time that you thought, "Will I really finish this?
12:52 Can I still do this?"
12:54 Oh my, that's daily. While reading, I think,
13:00 "I want to do this."
13:03 All law students will experience this.
13:06 You want to do this every day.
13:08 You even laugh because, "What is this? I already did this."
13:12 So you just accepted that doubt every day.
13:19 Eventually, I accepted that's how law school is.
13:22 When I enrolled in law school, I didn't know that's how it is.
13:27 I thought it was just a master's degree.
13:29 You go in, you listen, but it's not like that.
13:32 One said, "When you're old, can you afford to travel, etc.?
13:39 So while you're still young, do what you can do because yes,
13:43 there is an age limit to achieving your dreams.
13:46 Because when you're old and you can't afford to travel, it's just a dream.
13:52 At the age of 50, people's dreams will gradually disappear.
13:57 This is amazing, right?
13:58 They were given an age limit.
14:00 What can you say about this?
14:02 They say there is an age limit, it's harder to pay,
14:06 and at the age of 50, people's dreams will gradually disappear.
14:12 What can you say about this at 62?
14:14 The best time to do things, if there is a way, resources,
14:25 is to do it earlier, the better.
14:28 Because you have more opportunities.
14:30 But for the elderly, they don't have the opportunity like the kids.
14:38 Like me, I didn't have the opportunity to have money to go to school after my college life.
14:45 I have to earn my own upkeep after my college life.
14:53 So I don't have the luxury or the extra money to go to higher education.
15:01 So, it's not the same.
15:04 So, rather than focusing on age, what I heard from you is,
15:10 when the opportunity comes, whether it's when you're young,
15:15 or you suddenly have an opportunity at 50, grab it.
15:20 The moment the opportunity is there, the resources are there,
15:24 someone is helping and supporting you.
15:27 Don't refuse the opportunity just because you feel old.
15:33 That's right.
15:35 That's right, Doc Anne.
15:37 But sometimes, our dreams, sometimes we get surprised,
15:42 because we only hear about the kids who became successful.
15:48 But actually, a lot of them are just starting to be successful.
15:52 And the successful ones, they are achieving their dreams.
15:56 Or like Atorney Rose, second career, third career, fourth career.
16:02 Right?
16:04 Most of them are in their 40s, right?
16:07 In their 40s, in their 50s, they are really committing.
16:11 We are just comparing ourselves to the stories that are just 18,
16:17 famous, just 18, like this.
16:20 We all have different paces, different speeds.
16:24 And at different ages, we will have opportunities, right?
16:30 Yes, Doc Anne.
16:32 Yes.
16:33 So we have different hearts, so it's kind of in between.
16:36 She said, you who are rich, even if you are old, you can still achieve what you want.
16:42 You who are poor, you can't achieve your dream
16:46 because even if you work to achieve your dream,
16:50 you can't do it because there is age discrimination.
16:53 That's where the restriction is on achieving your dream.
16:57 Now, Atorney Rose, when you were studying, and maybe now,
17:00 I will ask you later, how are you post-bar exam as an attorney,
17:05 did you experience age discrimination?
17:09 In law school, Doc Anne, there is no age discrimination.
17:14 They accept you as who you are in law school.
17:19 But I was just caught, my attention was caught, Doc Anne,
17:27 when they said, because you are poor, you can't achieve your dream
17:34 because after you finish studying, no one will accept you.
17:40 Being successful is not employment, Doc Anne.
17:45 What we always think is, after I finish studying, I will go to work.
17:50 It's not.
17:51 It's not employment that we should think of when we study.
17:56 We should think about how to get old.
18:00 It's not just money that is successful.
18:05 Let's change our mindset that employment is always employment.
18:10 When you get old, no one will accept you.
18:13 It's not like that. You can be an entrepreneur.
18:16 You can learn how to manage people, or how to do welding.
18:29 You don't need to be an employee to be successful.
18:35 So if we continue, we said earlier, if there is an opportunity,
18:39 let's grab it. If there is no opportunity, we can think of how to do it.
18:46 You create an opportunity for yourself.
18:49 That's what I did when I studied.
18:52 So I created the opportunity for myself.
18:55 You just wait for the opportunity to come to you.
19:01 And Athornie Rose is the proof that it's possible.
19:04 It's not easy. We're not saying it's easy.
19:07 It's possible to achieve your dreams.
19:11 And it's possible. It's not because it's hard.
19:15 You can't dream anymore.
19:17 Because the dream is free.
19:20 You can only dream if you can afford it.
19:24 That's it.
19:26 Of course, it's also realistic.
19:28 We said earlier, some people have a lot of resources, so it's easier.
19:33 Others really need to take advantage of the resources.
19:37 Go up, hustle, and squander.
19:41 You need to look for it.
19:43 Take advantage of all the resources and opportunities.
19:47 So final message, Athornie Rose.
19:50 Do you have any advice for people like you who are a bit old
19:56 who think it's too late for them to achieve their dreams?
20:03 To those who are old,
20:06 if you can think of something that you can do to make your life happier,
20:14 do it.
20:16 Don't force it.
20:19 Be realistic and say, "This is the only thing I can do."
20:27 Don't dream of things that are impossible to achieve.
20:33 It will only be stressful and heavy for us.
20:38 In the end, we will be frustrated because we can't achieve it.
20:43 It's impossible to achieve it.
20:45 We need to consider our resources, our health, and what will be the outcome.
20:52 You need to balance all of that.
20:55 If we can achieve the small things, we will be happy.
20:59 We will be stress-free and our life will be helpful.
21:07 And we will have a long, long life.
21:11 So, my dear, when it comes to dreams,
21:15 we will not be happy just because we achieved our dreams.
21:19 We will pursue them even if we haven't achieved them yet.
21:23 We pursue them even if they are small or all-in.
21:27 We will try to do it all-in or even if it's not a career,
21:33 I still want it in my life.
21:35 We pursue it.
21:36 That is happiness too.
21:38 We don't need to be happy just because we achieved our dreams.
21:43 Even just pursuing, learning new things is already happiness.
21:48 Even if it's hard and we think about it every day,
21:52 we will give up.
21:54 That's part of happiness too.
21:56 When you know you're doing what you want.
21:58 Thank you so much, Atty. Rose, for this interview.
22:02 I'm sure you were inspired by your story.
22:06 And I'm sure you can do more.
22:09 I told you, it's not the end passing the bar.
22:12 It is just the beginning.
22:14 Yes, Doc Anna.
22:16 Thank you so much, Doc Anna.
22:19 You are a great host.
22:21 If you have something to talk about,
22:24 just leave a comment below or email us at shareko.at gmainews.tv.
22:30 We're also streaming on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Google Podcasts.
22:36 Thanks for tuning in.
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