Victories and Defeats

Victories and Defeats covers events in the author's life from his birth in 1937 to present day. It is meant not to be just a story of a life but a re-creation of events in history.

His recollections begin with his struggles in school, where he had trouble fitting in because he was not good at sports, which were the main interest of all the other boys.
He went back to school and despite his poor marks at his normal school, he obtained high marks at a coaching college. High enough to gain entry to the top university in the state and he eventually completed four degrees. This was his victory. His dream of teaching was achieved but it ended up in a defeat as he was forced to leave. He eventually finds he has no choice but to find another career path and unenthusiastically takes a post with the Taxation Office. Soon he begins putting his energies into political debates, and now his blog averages about 10,000 readers a month.

Meanwhile, his personal life floundered as he spent all his time focused on career and taking care of his parents. But one day a colleague tells him about a Filipino woman he met at school, and the two begin a correspondence that results in their marriage. Today, they have been together for more than twenty years.

Augustine believes it is our responses to the victories and defeats in life that determine how we live. In our reactions, we have choices.