Our perpetual search for new information or knowledge is mind-boggling. As we mature, we are faced with different sets of circumstances that dictate how we approach our desire for literacy. Whether it is learning a new language, acquiring new skills, or adopting ideologies, it is undoubtedly a greater responsibility once we have acquired them. Our new expertise can lead to regrettable lifestyles or a better career. In the mid-1980s, Manila was littered with mass actions calling for the ouster of the sitting president. Ideologies were numerous and encouraged young people to join the government and raise arms against the government. They catch fragile young minds at the height of their vulnerability. The exciting and eye-opening doctrines seep into their inner being, raising awareness of the country and their countrymen. Ideas and theories of mind that are perfect in the text and have no chance of coming to fruition. Yet these young minds continue a perpetual fight for change. I still have family members and friends who sacrifice not only their lives but also the lives of their children, just to see their ideologies come to life. Meanwhile, the whole world and countless opportunities are often overlooked. These same ideologies are spreading like wildfire in the countryside. Opening the eyes and minds of formerly illiterate farmers, revealing that they are victims of atrocities at the hands of landowners. Landowners are often well connected and employ their private armies to prevent any threats to their interests. Hundreds, if not thousands, of lives have been lost to “rescues,” death squads that eliminate farmers who begin to show signs of assertiveness. Farmers strive to improve their quality of life by becoming educated and skilled...... middle of paper ... and supplies instead of toys. These gifts were in turn sent to the daycare so that these children would share my son's vision of literacy. Sharing literacy with children your age means sharing responsibility. We continue to do this simple collection of books and supplies to support the children in daycare. Seeing these children beam with pride, their eyes wide and their smiles, and their eagerness exuding is an absolute accomplishment. Whether one is an inner-city child, or a child from poor urban families in the Philippines, or a worker or a woman looking for a job. new career path, seeking a higher form of literacy means taking responsibility for how new knowledge is used. Literacy is sometimes taken out of context and used in self-defeating ways, but more often than not, literacy facilitates our hopes and aspirations for a better quality of life..