The Parable of the Unfinished Gym
An eleven-year-old girl entered Philippine Science High School in the early `80s. Given the tour by her "big sister", the girl along with her classmates were brought to that corner of the campus where the concrete edifice stood. Said the "big sister" to the freshmen, "This structure will be the PSHS Gymnasium. In it will be an olympic sized swimming pool and all the works for the students to enjoy and prove that we who are of PSHS believe in the saying, "Mens sana in corpore sano...translated from Latin as 'a healthy mind in a healthy body'".
The youngsters were excited.
The "big brother" who also led the touring freshmen was quick to add, "You are lucky that in a few years time, you will enjoy the features of this structure. We who are seniors will soon leave without a taste of what it's like to have a world class high school gymnasium".
Years passed by and the young girl who heard these words when she was a freshman became a senior. She herself became a "big sister" and toured the incoming freshmen telling them how lucky they were to have a gym that will have world class facilities. As for the girl, she would soon be graduating.
Many years later, the girl married, had a daughter. The daughter grew up and was admitted to PSHS! As an incoming freshman, the daughter heard the same story handed down not only by the "big sister" but by her mother many years before. "This structure will be the PSHS Gymnasium! In it will be an olympic sized swimming pool and all the works for us to prove that we who are of PSHS believe in the saying, "Mens sana in corpore sano" .
The daughter went through four years of PSHS and soon as it was her time to graduate. Even after such a long wait and two generations of PSHS students, the gym was still not finished.
One day, both mom and daughter drove by Agham Road. While driving, the daughter says to her mom, "Hindi pa ba tapos `yan?", obviously referring to the weather beaten concrete structure of the gym. Mom in her wisdom says, "It will never be finished my dear".
"And why do you say so, Mom? Surely the National Alumni Association will have enough money to take on the completion of the gym".
"It will never be finished", said the mom. "For all the years that the gym has stood there unfinished, it has served a very important purpose to us Science Scholars. The unfinished gym has always taught each and everyone of us who bears the PSHS name to never stop dreaming."
