sakit sa limot

Posted by Mabie

over a century ago, rizal diagnosed the nation with the disease of cancer. entering into the first decade of the new millennium, i would have to beg to differ and give my own diagnosis, without, of course, precluding that i am in the same league as rizal. i say that it is not cancer that is beleaguering our society, it’s alzheimer’s, the forgetful’s disease.

we have forgotten that heroism is not necessarily exclusive to one individual alone, but with a people – a nation – working together.

we have forgotten that rising up as a nation against a dictatorship is not the end of the fight, but only the beginning of the struggles we need to overcome in order to patch up the cracks that infiltrated our subconsciousness.

we have forgotten that we are a young democracy, and as such we should not let it get to our heads and push the meaning of freedom to the fringes of extremeties. that the freedom we enjoy is not for free, even in its absolute sense, and must be worked hard for. that the government is not the only one responsible for ensuring that this is made secure and available for all. that we only got lucky that the heavens sided with us that one, fateful, yellow day two decades ago, and that we should not boast of knowing it all when it comes to democracy.

we have forgotten that our nation is a work in progress, and that it is yet too early to give up on something that will be worth it in the future, if only we strive for it together.

we have forgotten that the philippines and its people are worth it.

we have forgotten that we, too, have to hold up that other end of the sky, the other end of which is already carried by, and burdening even till beyond the graves of, those who have catapulted action first. we forget that there is no quota for bright ideas, there is no limit to ideas, that there are many, various, effective means of expressing these ideas, that they should not be selfishly kept to oneself for fear that credit will have to be shared; that there is a step even after expression – action.

we have forgotten to act consciously, rationally, passionately, compassionately. yes, there have been a lot of movements in the past decade or two, but none of which embodied the sincere heart that we have boldly proclaimed to have. we have forgotten that rhetorics and statements can only get us thus far, that after giving the impression of unity, you’ll need actual substance and depth and imbibement of such in order to genuinely be united.

we have forgotten that action need not only be defensive, it would also require offensive measures. let me clarify that: positive, offensive measures. that the blame game is old, and is getting older even faster than my keys are flying on my keyboard. that inasmuch as you rant, you have to be able to do than just rant, and act on your complaint. that after the action, there must be a follow-through, a reverence to keep the flame alive, to keep the advocacy alive. more importantly, to have an advocacy in the first place.

we have forgotten that while the virtual world is comfortable even with its expedient action, there still remains a real world that is not measured by gigabytes and not determined by IP addresses. that it should be but a tool to get a move on outside, not the replacement of the reality that many of us would prefer to avoid and escape from. that sometimes, you really have to get out and get moving before you get somewhere.

we have forgotten that nostalgia can only last for so long, but dedication to a cause lasts beyond a lifetime if nurtured and pursued properly. that presidents will come and go, but the nation will remain. that we are no longer the “next generation”, we are already THE generation upon which the young ones depend on for inspiring history, a future that everyone can look forward to, and a present that is fulfilling of its destiny.

we have forgotten of our history, of how we are all responsible for bringing us where we are now. and where we will be tomorrow.

we have forgotten rather conveniently.

after all the ceremonies and rituals have been done, after the farewells have commenced, after the nostalgia dies down and the reality comes crashing to confront us once again, how soon before the nation’s alzheimer’s disease kicks in once more? i do not believe for an instance we are a nation of mediocre people. we’re just really forgetful. which is essentially worse, if you come to think of it. being mediocre means you can do somehing, just that you come falling short of excellence, usually by a good several miles off the mark. mediocre people can do, just not that good, just enough to satisfy the requirement, just sufficient to meet substantial compliance. just.

a people that is forgetful as a nation on the other hand – that is the more unfortunate. because it means that our history is so frivolous and trivial to us that we can easily shut it out from our systems once the signs of peace hints its presence from over the horizon – never mind that it’s a phyrric one. it means that we regard ourselves so little that we give little importance to the achievements we have done, and belittling those we have yet to achieve. that we forget so easily yet are so unforgiving, especially when it inconveniences us.

we have forgotten that we should not forget.

with the passing of a national icon, as she was laid to rest this evening, i cannot help but wish silently: i wish, if we are to forget something from our history, it is that we forget how to forget easily.