Yes, you read it right. Bobo (stupid or not smart) and proud. It’s not like I wanted to use the word bobo but it’s just the best word to describe me.  See, a lot of you might think that bobo is an unusual word for someone who’s a consistent honor student in school like me, but no.

“Ang talino mo”

“No, I’m not”

“Pa-humble pa, taas nga ng grades mo eh”

Sometimes I can get offended when people tell me I’m smart.Odd right?

See when you’re born smart it’s like waking up in the morning and with your breakfast ready, clothes hanged and ironed, backpack packed and shoes polished. But for someone like me who’s born ‘not smart’ or bobo, it’s like waking up earlier than you should have because you need to prep for breakfast, then you need to iron your clothes, fix the bed, feed the pets and etc. Still don’t get my point? Let’s just put it this way, when you’re smart, things are a lot easier, getting things fast, memorizing stuff easier and such. But when you’re not, even with a lot of hard work with school stuff, sometimes it just doesn’t pay off. When you’re born smart you’re always one step ahead.

That’s why I’m offended. When you’re smart you work less. You study less. You sleep more. But for us bobos we need to work  twice harder, sometimes not just twice as hard. I do not have anything against smart people, also I do not suggest that they do not work hard, I’m just saying it’s a lot easier, for an instance, if smart student sleep late at night to study in order to have a high grades, a student like me do not sleep in order to pass. Now, do you get my point?

Being born smart is a huge advantage, but it is not something you can brag about. Simply because you were born with it but didn’t work for it. But if you’re bobo like me, and yet you’re in the same status or level with those student who are smart, that is something to brag. Again, simply because even you weren’t born with the advantage of being smart, you work your heavy ass off. 

Isn’t overwhelming to know you achieve something knowing that you work quadruple times harder rather than achieving it because you were born of having the advantage. It’s better that people recognize you for your hard work and not your characteristic.

“Nice work”

“thanks”

“you earned it”

“I sure did”

That’s better. Bobo and Proud.