It’s the Philippine’s Independence Day today, and to be honest, had I not heard my mother’s voice in their room when I went down to get water, I totally wouldn’t have remembered. I guess it’s just lost it’s meaning, if it ever had one to me at all. I’ve never really understood it, I suppose, and I’ve always went behind the excuse of being too young to understand anything. Well, I can’t really hide behind that excuse now, can I?
We were required to take this subject in school, the Rizal subject, where we learned about him—his history, his background, his personality. I guess the government made that subject mandatory so that we kids, we “young ‘uns”, can appreciate and love all the supposed sacrifice Jose Rizal made for the country, for us. But considering the very limited sources of information and the jumbled accounts of what really happened, I came out of that class more confused than anything.
Rizal was just a man, a man who went against the Catholic Church for some girl. Some values, huh? I guess it’s just the pessimist in me, but all I took away from that whole semester was the fact that Jose Rizal was very, very flawed. No one really knew his intentions; there were no memoirs and no matter what you say, second-hand accounts just aren’t that reliable.
I guess the man would’ve made a great doctor; I mean the man was incredible intelligent in that field. Had he been allowed to live, I would assume that he would’ve built the school that he’s always dreamt of erecting. I suppose that would’ve made a difference, small, but a difference still. I very much doubt it if the dude would still join in with the revolution. Had he been granted pardon, I doubt if he’d even want to live in the Philippines. In my mind, he’d up and pack to live somewhere in Europe where he’d lead a normal life and die peacefully, away from all the ruckus and mess that is his home country.
But that’s just inside my head.
I guess I won’t be able to feel whatever feeling I’m supposed to be feeling during June 12th until I’m out of the country. At this point, I’m actually looking forward to that.
