Finding a Place to Express Myself: My Self-introduction

ABOUT ME  Hello there! I'm Milben G., 24 years old, the fourth among seven siblings. I grew up in our province in the northern part of the city of San Remigio, along with my parents and siblings.   Our family lives simply, where our father used to work as an assistant to a truck driver when we were young, while our mother stayed at home, leading a modest life. --- I remember when I was young, due to my parents' heavy drinking, I often experienced living in a quiet house. Almost every day, my parents would get drunk, so we would hear shouting and arguing in the house.  It was very difficult to live in such an environment, so at a young age, I decided that I wouldn't follow their footsteps and indulge in any vices because I didn't want to live in a house where I couldn't feel peace and tranquility in my life. I remember during my elementary school years, I hardly attended classes because I felt like I didn't belong there. I don't want to be in school. I didn't have any friends, and I was often teased by my classmates because I was not very talkative and very shy by nature.  Back then, I often stayed at the computer shop, waiting for class hours to pass during school days. So, by the time that we went home , I anticipated receiving some scolding from my parents because of my absences. My parents remained unaware of my reasons for skipping school, as I wasn't very open to them. Yes, I admit I was such a headache to my parents. --- As I grew older and entered high school, my behavior remained the same. There were multiple instances where the school had to contact my mom regarding my conduct in class. Also, during my second year of high school, I failed and had to return to studying. Witnessing the disappointment in my parents, they asked if I still wanted to pursue my education. Feeling immense pity for my parents at that moment, knowing their efforts to provide education for us all, and me burdened by guilt for my actions, I assured them that I would resume my studies and wouldn't squander the opportunity they had given me again.  As I promised, I didn't let the opportunity they provided go to waste, and I successfully finished K-12. Following senior high, I enrolled at Rizwoods Colleges to pursue a criminology course. However, due to financial difficulties, I decided to pause my studies to give my younger siblings a chance because life was extremely poor even before.  Accompanied by my older sibling, I sought employment to assist our parents, I remember the various jobs I had taken before finding the job where I felt comfortable , and luckily I secured a job as a merchandiser in a mall. I found happiness in my job because even though I was just a minimum wage earner, it was still a respectable job, and I was able to help my parents, even if only a little. However, I couldn't contribute much to my parents due to my girlfriend getting pregnant. I actually feel bad for not being able to help my family more and repay their kindness to me. But despite being a pain in the neck, there were still supportive individuals, especially our families, who guided us through raising our child well.  On the day I first saw my child, everything seemed to change in my outlook on life. The best thing that happened to me was seeing my child for the first time. I can't fully explain my emotions the moment I held and saw him. The feeling of being afraid to hold him because I might hurt him or scared him. It may be a bit chaotic to think about, but it's one of the happiest and best things that happened in my life. I couldn't believe I am now a father—it was an amazing feeling. Having become a father now, I've come to appreciate my parents sacrifices for us, their teachings, and endless guidance much more. Even though my parents used to drink a lot back then, they never once neglected us.  They even forced themselves to change and turn away from their vices for us and for the betterment of our family. So, my siblings and I are thankful that finally our parents have ceased their drinking habits and have come to understand that extreme alcohol consumption only leads to negativity. --- As a parent now , I'm committed to doing all I can to ensure my child has a promising future, including supporting their education, as I believe it's one of the best gifts I can offer for them to have a prosperous life ahead. --- So to all the youth and the new generation, I hope you won't let all your parents' sacrifices go to waste because just seeing you achieve all your dreams in life would be a significant achievement for them. You should persevere through life's challenges, no matter how tough they may seem and do everything for the betterment of your future. --- MY HOBBIES/INTERESTS Playing mobile games and basketball are one of my passions. Before having a family, I spent most of my time on the basketball court, wherever I could play. Basketball helped me overcome my shyness as I started socializing more. During my free time, I play Mobile Legends. But now that I have a family, I've set aside my hobbies to focus on providing for them. There are days, especially when I have free time, I watch shows on YouTube or browse through my Facebook to catch up on various events. Sometimes, I also watch movies of different genres with my family or listen to music and sing along with them. --- REASON FOR JOINING THE HIVE Being introverted, it's like discovering a fitting place for myself. For me, it's a big deal to join the Hive because I have many ideas and opinions that I've been afraid to share with those around me, so the Hive has become a way for me to express what's on my mind. The prospect of joining this community fills me with excitement about the insights I want to share with them regarding towards my future blogs about the events and adventures that happened in my life. Additionally, I'm eager to hear and learn from the ideas and opinions of others on different topics. Furthermore, I'm delighted to discover new friends and grow through the Hive. --- HOW I GOT TO KNOW HIVE My cousin @jeannmazing, whenever she comes to our house, can't stop talking about how beautiful the Hive is, and I also learned later on that my younger sibling @mxrvieee has joined the Hive. So, I got curious about this community and decided to join to experience firsthand how wonderful it is. However, due to my busy work schedule, I didn't have time to attend the orientations held in various places. But when my cousin @jeannmazing mentioned that she was having an online orientation last March 24, 2023, at 10 in the Sunday morning, I didn't hesitate and joined.  The orientation was informative and enjoyable, and I appreciated @jeannmazing for introducing me to the wonderful community of the Hive. --- Thank you for reading my self-introduction, everyone. I hope I can get to know more of you here.