What's the True Measure of Intelligence? (Page 1 of 3)

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Jenora: Yes, I'm the Regional Finance Director of an International organization now. My responsibility covers Europe and Africa.

Me: That's amazing, Jen! I'm so glad to hear this big success of yours.

Jenora: The same is true here. I'm glad I heard from you. Remember our high school escapades? And have you heard anything about Lugina?

Me: In fact, I am planning to call her right after this conversation with you. I'd like that the three of us will have a reunion sometime when we happen to have some time to go back to our city.

Jenora: All right. Please let me know what's the latest with her if you can contact her. I would like to talk with her as well.

Me: No problem. Byw for now. I bet you're very busy. I'll call you again when I have news about our old dear friend. Ciao Jen.

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Me: What?!?! You have four kids now? That's a big surprise. I never expected that motherhood could happen to you so soon. I mean, we are 25 and you have five children. I just spoke with Jenora and we're still both single.

By the way, how have you been? It's been years since we last talked to each other. Tell me about you, Ludge.

Lugina: Oh Rogue... It's been a crazy life for me. I never succeeded with my dreams. I'm stuck here in our city, with four children, with a life thrown. I mean, I do love my four little angels but sometimes I do regret I got into this marriage life so soon. My husband does not even have a permanent job. I did bad decisions and here I am. Sigh...

How's Jen by the way? You mentioned you just talked with her?

Me: Yes Ludge. She's travelling all over Europe and Africa so she really is not staying in a single country. She sounded so pleased with her work. Ah, you know that go-getter. She has a residence in Munich though and she told me that if she has time, she stays there.

Lugina: I'm so envoìious of you two. You have reached your dreams, while I.. I really think I'm a failure. Sigh.... Oh wait! That's my youngest crying. I bet she's hungry now. I'm still breast feeding her. Hope to talk yìto you soon Rogue. For now I need to hang up. Thanks for calling.

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What's the True Measure of Intelligence? (Page 2 of 3)

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I just finished those conversations with my two close friends back in high school. I was able to secure their respective contact numbers from a social networking site where the three of us are members since high school days. I was lucky to have found their updated profiles, still with correct information, at least with regards their contact numbers.

The three of us were inseparable back in high school. We mostly hang out in the same places, we supported each other in our respective activities, and our respective families were also aware how close we were to each other. The two of them, Jenora and Lugina, were the brightest among our batch and I can say that it was a great deal of luck to have both of them as my closest of friends. I was the sporty tyoe while those two were highly intellectuals.

The challenge in our friendship came during our moment to graduate. The school records show that both Jen and Ludge were deserving Valedictorians. However, only one, as the school rules and regulations state, should be the Valedictorian in each school year.

Jenora was the one who simply gets what she wants. She perfected almost all examinations without spending so much time studying. She was the most easy going intellectual type of girl and Ireally admired her for that.

On the other hand, Lugina really studied so much and sometimes, when Jenora had to render some moral support for my tournaments, Lugina busied herself studying, making sure she gets the best of each examination. She was the bookworm, studious type of intellectual. While I admire her patience for studying, I resented secretly for her absense in some of my basketball, soccer, or martial art tournaments being one of my closest friends.

When the high school Principal and our Adviser in senior year called the two of them in the Principal's office, I already knew what was the problem. I knew that my two closest friends are holding the same position as the School's Valedictorian that year. I was thinking of the worse to happen, especially in our friendship, when I realized this fact.

However, after a very short period of time, barely ten minutes, the Principal's office opened and my two friends emerged out of it, with wide smiles in their faces while they walked arm-in-arm towards me. "What the hell is happening?" I had to question myself.

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What's the True Measure of Intelligence? (Page 3 of 3)

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Jenora conceded!Lugina was the decided Valedictorian for the year. Lugina was so happy and so proud that she could tell her parents this great success.

What happened inside the Principal's office, they both told me. Jenora insisted that Lugina be the Valedictorian as she studies a lot. The Principal and our Adviser agreed and in fact, they have been planning to have the honor given indeed to Lugina but Jenora got the same high grades and extra curricular activities which made them confused and undecided. Everybody was happy by then. Jenora, as the happy-go-lucky person, she did not mind being the Salutatorian for the year. The three of us remained very good friends until the university years.

Thinking about those happenings in high school, after my two phone calls to those two closest friends of mine back then, and checking on their current status in life, made me realize that Jenora was the deserving intelligent person. She reached her dreams and she used her intelligence to advance herself and be successful.

On the other hand, I am very disappointed with what happened to Lugina. She threw her future away. With four children and no work makes her, as she said earlier, a real failure. I don't know why she had to marry so young and bring four kids without stabilising her financial status and her career firsr.

I know that this world is not all about money. But a little stability would not hurt, especially if someone plans to have four children. When I had that phone call with Lugina, I heard desperation in her voice; I heard that she herself is disappointed with her own acts and decisions. Now I realize that Jenora is even more intelligent in real life. It is not in the books! The intelligence in dealing with real life cannot be read. It cannot be learned inside the four corners of the school, or the university but it is earned by real intelligent people.

Jenora contributes better to this world: her intelligence, her innovative mind, her charity donations as she is earning much more than herself, she helps her family financially and many other good things that improve and help everyone else around her because she decided to be successful.

Lugina becomes a burden of society. So many children, she cannot even help herself, and worse that I can expect, the children would have to suffer given that the parents are not very stable financially. Their education and future would be at stake just because their mother decided to marry and have four of them without thinking of the consequences first.

Now I understant why it was so easy for Jenora to give up the honor as the Valedictorian and have it given to Lugina. It is not the honor itself that makes a person fulfilled. It's the life itself. Now that's real intelligence!

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