The 25th Kenneth: Part One

Hello, everyone! This is the 25th Kenneth Bernejay Porio, speaking, I mean, writing... 

On the 29th of June, 2017, I shall no longer exist, and be replaced with the 26th Kenneth Bernejay at the moment he shall wake up. Therefore, in the remaining three days I live on this earth, let me recall all the memories I have acquired during my existence.

I had a eventful arrival, and the people whom had contact with since the 23rd Kenneth greeted me a happy birthday and prayers. Because it was a Wednesday, my arrival was celebrated with drinks and food at the Acoustic Night Life, an event that the 23rd, 24th and me the 25th Kenneth had been.

During the next 5 months I wenth through enormous pressure and hardship, as I was tasked to help upgrade the existing POS system of my former employer Park N Shop Supermarket. I'm sure the 24th Kenneth would relate. too.

On those times, I would have to endure lack of sleep, extreme boredom and mental and physical fatigue as I have to carry all these burdens to print correspondence, make requests and carry all these bulky equipment. In the end the project was successful and the new units came up and running by the start of the holiday shopping season.

I was able to experience long distance travel for the first time (in a long time), as during the middle of October, I was able to travel to Cebu with my brother Alain Joseph. It was there I had the experience to board an aircraft. Yes, no-one from the preceding Kenneths had been in an airplane before, so it was a great experience for me.

In Cebu we were able to travel around the most-visited landmarks in Cebu, to name a few: the Lapu-Lapu Shrine, Taoist Temple, Magellan's Cross, Sto Nino Shrine, HappyWorld 3D Art Museum in Cordova, SM City Cebu, SM Seaside City Cebu, and a lot others. I was also able to brave the heights of the rooftop of the Crown Regency Hotel. It was really exhilirating! During our stay we were at our uncle's place in Lapu-Lapu City and he and his family were really accomodating. 

I do hope the future Kenneth, especially the 26th, will be able to travel farther.

Before the year 2016 ended, I handed over my resignation to end my employment with Park N Shop, due 25th January 2017. It was a crucial decision, as I had to think it hard, really hard.

As a tradition, I joined my family in the year-end celebration at Camp Holiday. It was a really enjoyable experience ending the year with a blast!

In the days that remained in my employment at Park N Shop, I was planning for myself to go freelance. However, something inside me really wanted to pursue a career that has been a longing since the 10th Kenneth expressed that thought in class - to become a teacher. My leader that time had pushed me to pursue the academe, and even some of my friends had been in that career path before me. But in those years I let that thought pass on. I really wanted to pursue fulltime freelancing. Maybe it ws just me.

I was scouring through jobs on Facebook, JobStreet, bestjobs.ph, and many other sites, and passed resumes left and right. Whatever job that was there, and up to my qualifications, I applied. However, it seems that nothing worked. I tried optmizing my profile on Fiverr and UpWork. Didn't seem to work. Maybe I was just lazy or something.

Until January 23 came, when someone called on my phone. It was two days before my last day of work in Park N Shop.

"Hello, my name is Mark. Are you Mr. Kenneth 'ber-nie-high' Porio?"

"Yes, It's 'ber-nee-jay', Sir."

"Ok, sir. This is from the HR of Joji Ilagan Career Center Foundation. I saw your application for Computer Instructor. Are you available for a teaching demo?"

Teaching demo? Joji Ilagan? The look in my face painted perplexity.

"Ah let me check my schedule, sir," I said sheepishly. Because I was vacant (and I was leaving anyway), "Sige po, ano pong oras sir?"

"Are you available tomorrow, 1 to 2 PM?" the guy named Mark asked.

"Ok sige po sir."

And he gave some instructions.

I was excited and nervous at the same time. I asked permission from my department head and he said yes. On the next day, it was time.

I admitted I was not ready for it. I had my teaching demo in a polo shirt, black denim pants and black rubber shoes. In front of me was that guy named Mark, the school's dean named Ma'am Rose and a teacher named Mr. Tormis. Kinabahan ako, pero keri lang. Then I just delivered my lesson at the best I could.

But on that moment I finished my demo, the dean told me, "you have good presentation skills, you just have to improve in a few things."

After that, I waited in the student lounge. I was not expecting that I'll be hired there and then. Ayoko talaga, eh. It was never in my plans. I wanted to freelance and make money.

But it became clearer and clearer. The dream that the 10th Kenneth wanted to have was about to come true.

(to be continued on Part Two)