"Whatever did happen to our elementary classmates?" This was the topic that we were discussing while walking through Imus Public Market. Judy was telling me about this friend of hers from grade one. As it turns out, that friend of hers got stuck with just telling stories about their past - the long gone past. That was when I blurted out a lot about my elementary days and how I was a friends with our class president and valedictorian.

"Why is it that when we were kids, the class president is also usually the valedictorian?"

"I guess its because of previous experience," I explained. Trying to think more about it, it seems that kids have a knack at remembering who their past first honor student and back then, we always admired the intelligent and the academic achiever. In a way, it is some form of popularity.

The conversation moved a few more dialogues when I suddenly blurted out, "When we were kids, we voted for the most intelligent kid to be class president. I wish that people remember that when they get older; when we get older, it seems that most Filipinos have forgotten that!"

Judy just nodded in agreement. It really seems that it is true - and rather sad that some people could get stuck in the past but totally focus on the wrong things. We get hung up on who was cute, dirty, ugly or funny but we totally forgot some important lessons. When we gather together, the usual topic is who became somebody or who did not make it. I even chirped a lot about things like that with my valedictorian/class president friend. It also our constant topic. We enjoyed the gossip!

Perhaps, it is the time to look back on some grain of wisdom in kids. We knew how to tell who was good and who was rotten. We remembered that last year, our class president was great and smart. She did everything to make the class orderly. Naturally, since she is smart then, she'll still be smart this year and we'll vote for her again. It's simple logic, right?

Looking back, we made sense. We were smart enough to know what to do. Growing up must have taken away that sense. Perhaps, it may have even been forgotten but since I felt that spark of revelation tonight, I'll remember that conversation come the next elections.