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by PAM
"I've had just enough time..."
Wow, wouldn't it be great to be able to say that? That we've "had just enough time"? Enough time to have done all that we had dreamt of, that we had envisioned doing, that we had set out to do... all that we had been sent to do - the things that matter the most? I'm not sure if the song is all about death per se... I think it's all about life in general. That we should all take up life with passion, live life as if it can be taken from us by "the sharp knife of a short life" in one swift stroke... live each day like we only had "just enough time" to live a meaningful life, and therefore we celebrate life whenever we can, we make the most of it, we make the most of every opportunity that comes our way - to laugh, love, serve God.
Funny... because, as most of my closest friends may know, boring as I am, I've sat to immobility as opportunity after breathtaking opportunity came... and went. I offer no excuses... just a resolution that, next time, I'll keep it together, stand gracefully and shake opportunity's hand... and maybe go to dinner with it! ;)
Funny... because, as most of my closest friends may know, boring as I am, I've sat to immobility as opportunity after breathtaking opportunity came... and went. I offer no excuses... just a resolution that, next time, I'll keep it together, stand gracefully and shake opportunity's hand... and maybe go to dinner with it! ;)
***
Speaking of life, death... and missed opportunities
I meant to talk about the passing away of the Philippine Cinema's undisputed "King of Comedy", Rodolfo "Dolphy" Quizon, Sr. a couple of days ago. But I am still too sad and angry to be sure that I won't sound offensive to the people who man the helm of the "Pambansang Alagad ng Sining ng Pilipinas" (National Artist of the Philippines) selection committee. His passing, to me, feels like a little 
Tenkyu po, Mang Dolphy!but good part of my fun memories as a child and young adult was punched out, and the little round shaving went flying away, leaving a gaping hole. :(
Tenkyu po, Mang Dolphy!but good part of my fun memories as a child and young adult was punched out, and the little round shaving went flying away, leaving a gaping hole. :(
The whole nation mourns the passing of the man who touched every Filipino's heart... okay, maybe not everyone's, maybe Dolphy didn't even get a few miles close to the collective heart of the snub people at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) who determine the National Artists... if they had heart at all that is. But shouldn't "art" and "culture" mirror the nation's heart and soul? Maybe not, 'cause the National Artist committee seem "too cultured" that they have become too stiff to have the "proper heart" to acknowledge the phenomenal impact to the Filipino of the man who spent his life figuring out the Filipino's comedic psyche and hitting it - spot on! It was this sincere effort to understand and staying faithful to what the Filipino audience revealed to him that endeared him to them - us. And this is how he became an icon for humor, laughter, happiness... and celebration of life for the Pinoys. And this is how Dolphy touched the lives of a multitude of Pinoys and resided in the nation's heart for more than six decades. With the outpouring of prayers, sympathy and kind, touching words for Dolphy from Filipinos coming from different walks of life, it is obvious that he will continue to live in the Filipino's heart long after the lowering of the curtain in this stage of borrowed time.
But did any of this matter to them "cultured" royal highnesses of the National Artist committee? Obviously not! His efforts were put down, belittled and reduced to "just slapstick". Ugh! Do you, people, even know "Filipino humor"???? Apparently not! Dolphy, on the other hand, had a deep understanding of and reverence for the Filipino humor that he only had to make coffee as John Puruntong in "John en Marsha", without saying a single word, and we laughed so hard, we could cry! Therefore, a snub to Dolphy is just about the same as failure to recognize and honor the Filipino and his/her unique view of humor and his/her preference of how this view is depicted in artistic medium. These "cultural royalty" people insist on "defining" the artistic preference and humor of the Filipino, and forcing their definition into everyone's throat. Gah!
Alas, National Artist selection committee people, you and your "artistic and cultured" stance on Filipino humor are not funny... but Dolphy was! And, we love him! Not naming Dolphy a National Artist when he was still alive was indeed a "missed opportunity"... certainly not for him but for our "cultural royalty" - they missed to seize the very essence of their existence as an entity. How sad. Then again, how many of our National Artists got the recognition posthumously? It is indeed "funny, when you're dead, how people started listening."
So, here's a national gag for you, "cultured people"! Enjoy... if you can!
But did any of this matter to them "cultured" royal highnesses of the National Artist committee? Obviously not! His efforts were put down, belittled and reduced to "just slapstick". Ugh! Do you, people, even know "Filipino humor"???? Apparently not! Dolphy, on the other hand, had a deep understanding of and reverence for the Filipino humor that he only had to make coffee as John Puruntong in "John en Marsha", without saying a single word, and we laughed so hard, we could cry! Therefore, a snub to Dolphy is just about the same as failure to recognize and honor the Filipino and his/her unique view of humor and his/her preference of how this view is depicted in artistic medium. These "cultural royalty" people insist on "defining" the artistic preference and humor of the Filipino, and forcing their definition into everyone's throat. Gah!
Alas, National Artist selection committee people, you and your "artistic and cultured" stance on Filipino humor are not funny... but Dolphy was! And, we love him! Not naming Dolphy a National Artist when he was still alive was indeed a "missed opportunity"... certainly not for him but for our "cultural royalty" - they missed to seize the very essence of their existence as an entity. How sad. Then again, how many of our National Artists got the recognition posthumously? It is indeed "funny, when you're dead, how people started listening."
So, here's a national gag for you, "cultured people"! Enjoy... if you can!
Okay, I should stop... I told ya, it is not a good idea to do this now. Later.....
***
Video credit: Thanks, TheBandPerryVEVO on YouTube!
Photo credit: Dolphy's photo was borrowed from Wiki - thanks!
Photo credit: Dolphy's photo was borrowed from Wiki - thanks!
