Thursday, March 20, 2014

Faculty by Jerrold Tarog

This film talks about some serious issues but ironically, it tickled my funny bone. The last line of the character which is “Magtuturo ako ng high school.” sent me guffawing. That is because I might identify myself as the realistic character in the movie but the rebel/activist character was the very personification of me during my impressionable years (Remember the I-can-change-the-world phase that we’ve all gone through? That’s it. ) And that caused me to laugh. Remembering is not only bitter-sweet, this time, I labeled it as a bitter-sweet kind of “funny”.

I too was a rebel. On, second thought, the usage of word seems inappropriate. Rebel is such a strong word. But if questioning authorities and unclear traditions and laws and ancient political system is labeled as rebellious, so let’s leave that term as it is. That was the reason why my nanay was so hesitant to let me study in UP when I passed the entrance exam because she clearly knows my rebellious streak. I would definitely be the cause of her death if she sees me on television marching around with a red band on my head while raising my fist in the air. And believe me, I could clearly see myself doing just that way back, and so did my mother. So, UP was eliminated from my would-be-university list.

So what happened to me along the way? Tell anybody who knows me just about 5 years ago up to just recently about my rebellious streak and you’ll definitely hear, “Oh c’mon! She’s so level-head and mild-mannered." In fact, for about six years now, I can only count to about 3 instances when I flared out and shared a piece of my mind to people whom I think are already out of the line.

No, I didn’t become jaded nor cynical nor passive. I can never be those things even if I try.

I think that I have mellowed. I have evolved from a highly idealistic and impressionable yet, unscathed youth, into somebody who has witnessed and experienced some of life’s ragged and ugly realities.

So, this short video is a gift---a gift of seeing my would-have-been self had I not learned to tone down on my idealism.



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