Journey of life: Analyzing the convergence of lives in “Sa lalaking naligsan sa may interseksyon”

“SA LALAKING NALIGSAN SA MAY INTERSEKSYON” 

Written by: Manuel M. Avenido

"Sa Lalaking Naligsan sa May Interseksyon" by Manuel Avenido is a short story written in Cebuano that perfectly portrays the busy life of a human living in our country. The story covers issues such as the indifference of people, safety, and also deep knowledge and reflection of our journey through life. The literary text centers on men who witness an accident on their way to work. This narrative is based on a true story of the author where he witnessed a man being run over by a 10F jeepney at the intersection point of N.Bacalso Avenue and V. Rama. Avenido used his talent for writing to perfectly reflect on a human’s routine without sugarcoating his words. By incorporating his life cycle into the accident at the intersection, he was able to integrate these topics to create a deeper meaning in life.

Through discussing each different perspective and identifying the social issue embedded in the literature through corresponding it to reality and sharing coherence to the society's general belief. The narrative also challenges SDG-related topics such as SDG 3 and SDG 11 and through sharing some practical solutions, it is a call to encourage everyone. The narrative can also be analyzed through spiritual and religious contexts as the narrative also highlights the indifference of society to persons in need. 

Summary
A man is on his way to work. Along the way, riding in a jeepney, he sees an accident in an intersection involving a car. He leaves work mulling over the accident during most of his routines. In the midst of it, he plays with the concept of life, taking it as a lesson since he is now a teacher, and also relates it to his personal life, especially his relationship with his partner, Alma. However, amidst his struggle to find meaning and justice in life, all these are shrouded with uncertainties over his job as well as the weight of unmet dreams. The storyline further delves into the callousness of his students for literature as against his passion for teaching and his strong conviction that stories held deeper truths about life. The drama ends with him calling out to find out more about his future and his status in this world, all set against the hustling pace of new modern life.

Analysis and Interpretation
“Sa Lalaking Naligsan sa May Interseksyon” was written by Cebuano author Manuel M. Avenido, a well-known writer who has received numerous awards, including second place in the 67th Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature in the Cebuano Short Story category. Avenido delves into the harsh realities of life, sharing his journey through his works. In this story, the main character reflects aspects of the author’s own life as both a husband and a teacher. The character’s experiences and perspectives echo Avenido’s thoughts and feelings. As noted in “A Folklore for My Generation: A Pre-History of Late Stage,” “There’s no real moral or lesson to be learned from all this. But this is something that actually happened to him. Something that happened to all of us.” This literary piece is crafted from the author’s perspective and resonates with the daily experiences of many. The inconveniences and indifference of people are common among us; every accident is fleeting as long as it doesn’t concern us too much. This literary text aims to encourage awareness about road safety.

In a linguistic context, the story employs various methods to emphasize the character’s journey, including symbols, cultural references, and literary techniques. The urban or rural setting influences the nature of the conflicts and the character’s interactions. Manuel M. Avenido uses his mother tongue to write this piece capturing  the essence of being Filipino with a strong dialect and rich vocabulary by using words like “panikaysikay” and “sugilanon.” The story is written in a third-person point-of-view where the thoughts of each character are shown. the protagonist's thoughts and perspectives are revealed through a personal narrative that exposes his struggles. After the incident, his thoughts become scrambled and unfocused, affecting his focus on the incident. 

The title “Sa Lalaking Naligsan sa May Interseksyon” may give a tragic image; however, it also represents a rendezvous point where choices, paths, and destinies converge. In this story, life is described in a busy street where people of different backgrounds and professions pass by each other in a one path. We can derive from this reality a philosophical message where people do meet at a certain point in life, making use of the intersection as the “point”. The intersection represents different directions that we choose in life as well as the experiences we undergo. The literary text also throws in the idea of temporary. "Kamubo ra gyud diay sa kinabuhu!" A dialogue from the narrative shows us how our life is temporary and borrowed, therefore, we are given the chance to choose wisely since it forms our future. His dilemmas get more gruesome and challenge the lifestyle in the story as it unfolds. It is a call to action; not so much for the experiences that we have in real life, but about experiences while along the journey of life, where we meet various accidents and inconveniences.

The narrative provides a group of perspectives from different characters of the story, giving us a wider scope in analyzing the social issues of the story. Each characters perspective differs from one another because of their difference in beliefs and values. This illustrates how a person’s belief, value, or personality shape the perceptions of truth regarding any situation. Another key issue reflected in the story is the social indifference of humans. The literary text also effectively shows how a community’s perception constructs a common truth through the story. It captures how society shows sympathy for a moment and then quickly moves on with their lives. In correspondence with reality, people who witness an accident often fuse over the matter for a moment and then proceed with their daily life, often forgetting the memory of the accident. In a spiritual context, we can relate this issue with the scripture Luke: 10:30-37, the parable of the good samaritan. It is closely related as to how the first few people who encountered the helpless man showed no pity and indifference. They chose to proceed with their journey without helping the man. Applying this parable on our daily life, encountering such accidents will surely shock us. However, we can start extending a helpful through providing support to the helpless. Concrete solutions like performing first aid, calling the ambulance, or moving the person to a better position and spot wherein the situation could not disrupt the flow longer. Spiritual ways is also a help solution. By praying for the soul of the person or asking for safety and guidance to both the living and the roaming souls. 

Through the literary text, we gain insight into the protagonist's thoughts. Living with a sense of responsibility in his life as a teacher and as a partner.  The protagonist's journey aligns with the reality’s values and social norms regarding responsibility and justice. The character's experiences reinforce a shared understanding of safety and accountability within the community. The story highlights important community values, social norms, and the need for critical thinking in the context of road safety. Themes of safety and responsibility are central, along with the consequences of negligence. Reports related to road safety have consistently made headlines in the news. Improved road safety can yield significant socioeconomic benefits, such as reduced healthcare costs from traffic injuries, enhanced productivity, and increased public confidence in community safety. The perspectives of various characters—such as the driver, the victim, and bystanders—are explored, illustrating how their actions and decisions contribute to the incident. This multifaceted approach emphasizes not only individual accountability but also the collective responsibility of the community in promoting safer roads and a better understanding of traffic norms. 

Overall, we can relate the literary text to the advocacy for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which can significantly influence the country’s economic growth. Using the story as a platform, we can raise awareness about traffic rules and implement programs and seminars to refresh drivers' knowledge, helping to prevent accidents like the one depicted in the narrative. These initiatives will address critical issues of pedestrian safety and urban planning, aligning with efforts to create inclusive, safe, and sustainable urban environments. Furthermore, enhancing laws to promote accountability among drivers and advocating for better traffic regulations contribute to building a just and secure society. By focusing on education and community engagement, we can foster a culture of safety that benefits everyone, supporting the broader goals of sustainable development.

Conclusion
Sa Lalaking Naligsan sa May Interseksiyon is poignant, an undeniably fragile as well as unpredictable existence of the human race. This story calls for readers' self-reflection about the moment in life, a point when all choices come together with destiny and collide with events beyond expectations that end in tragedy most of the time. This narrative underlines human frailty in the apparently haphazard nature of life. Questions that begin to be raised and plead for philosophical reflection are those concerned with questions about control, agency, and forces that shape people's lives.

The story thus writes to the existential uncertainty of each, criticizing that greater indifference of society towards the most marginalized, ignored persons in the same breath. It transforms the fatal accident into a metaphor of how easy it is for people to get "run over" under the weight of such societal pressures or negligence, and how reality could go on relentlessly while that of personal tragedy can't.

At its very heart, this story puts the reader up against the temporariness of life as well as the absurd quest for meaning so closely coupled with it. In that view, the story of the protagonist who has barely found his sense in the profession of teaching, relationships, or even about the meaning of the deeper truth of life is so much like the human condition : our relentless pursuit of meaning in a world that is so often chaotic and indifferent. But in its very absurdity, the story also adds that it was through such storytelling and literature, reflection even, that life's indeterminacies may be faced with a semblance of approachability, ordering, and drawing meaning out of chaos.

This is exactly what can also be seen in “Sa Lalaking Naligsan sa May Interseksiyon”, because it makes our minds bring something to that questioning which proves to test our very own intersections at moments, which shape our lives through decisions, circumstances, or forces beyond our control. I consider this as a reflection of the precarious balance between agency and fate and the ways by which we sometimes find meaning in the world offering no guarantees or assurances. It makes the story so deeply resonant and reminds us to introspect about our mortal lives, the societal formations surrounding our lives, and the very way we live amidst the unpredictable intersections of existence.