I would like
to apologize for flooding the timeline with anything but relevant (it’s not
even anything, actually! It is a particular something!) tweets. See, when I logged in
last Monday on my Twitter account, I immediately started to help trend the Lois and Clark reunion I practically overlooked that people were tweeting about
the Zamboanga siege. As I was figuring out what was really going on
there, I guiltily thought that a part of my region is in lockdown (with civilians even taken hostage by rebels), but here I am tweeting about old songs,
favorite lines, and pictures that would remind me of this rekindled obsession.
Before y’all judge me for being
insensitive, shallow, and apathetic to what is going on in Zamboanga, hear me
out. Not that somebody accused me to be either one of those words I mentioned,
but I would like to first say that I really had no idea what really
happened. On how the attack came about, on what triggered it, that sort of
thing. My initial online research told me that some rebels from the MNLF claimed
that it is now high time for Zamboanga to be returned to them, thus they
decided to take over, as ordered by their chief, Nur Misuari. Some reports
claimed that they were supposed to be on their way for their protest to be held
in front of the city hall but some soldiers tried to attack them before they
even reach their venue. I know I am missing some important information in my
summary—and that is the main reason why I kept mum over this issue online. Aside from that, it is not only the MNLF that is showing up on
news updates, MILF also keeps popping up. Who are they anyway? Are they also
under MNLF? Why are they linked more to terrorist threats than MNLF? I have
always thought about Nur Misuari, the MNLF chief, as a calm leader who is
willing to keep the possibilities open for peace talks with the government. But
with what is going on…and what people close to them have been telling the media
on what really their objective is on the attack, I am in total confusion. Like someone placed me in the middle of a football field one season and I don't even know how to play the sport. I
don’t actually know who and what to believe anymore. Besides, this tension
between the MNLF and the government, the military and the rebels, and even between the Muslims and the Christians are what I
considered very sensitive issues. I would rather choose my words and get my
facts straight before I even form a strong opinion.
With Lois and Clark, however, it
is the exact opposite. Back in High School, I remember swooning over how handsome
Dean Cain was as Superman, and that he and Teri Hatcher make a very beautiful
couple on screen. Twenty years after, thanks to another Superman film that came
out, I got curious again over this 90s version. Why was I head over heels
addicted to the show, really?
I finally found my answer…after 20 years. Funny I need to waste that much time to realize that Superman should be on top of my superheroes list. Going over specifics is basically another story, but in a nutshell the fact that this hero emphasized on truth and justice, and ceaselessly fights crime in Metropolis is something I can easily dissect, if given the chance. Of course there is this ongoing theme of their love story, on why it is something that most hopeless romantics [like me] cherish, but the bottomline is that I entirely understand this hero’s story. Why “Superman is what he can do, and Clark is who he really is.” is the revolving theme during the Superman of the 90s. I know why he thinks like that, and why he saves people from trouble and danger. On why he cares, and why he uses his powers to do good and nothing more. It is something I can openly share, without hesitation, without fear, and definitely without doubt. As long as it is about the Lois and Clark of the 90s, I can just rant on and on and on and I can even cite episodes, if you will!
I also would like to think that with what is really going on in my region, in the world, and even in my surroundings, it still pays to keep in mind what this hero truly stood for. The more I think about his morals and ethics, the more I realize that no matter how the cruel the world can be, and no matter how people can be against you, the most important weapon that a person can have is his/ her principles. On what they truly believe in. On what they really stand for on this earth.
And that is what I will be. I may not have super powers. I may not even be a person of power and influence, but I believe like the Man of Steel, if I hold on to my values, if I continue to believe that doing things right is still the best thing, then I know I can give enough power to make a difference. And one way of putting that to action is choosing the right words and venue to express my opinion.
I’m afraid that I will be flooding the timeline again about that good ‘ol TV show, and because of that, I apologize again. Rest assured that those Superman tweets are accompanied with a silent prayer for the people in Zamboanga, and a fervent wish that this will be over soon. That the good will prevail over evil, and that both the MNLF and the government will agree on keeping Zamboanga---and the rest of Mindanao peaceful. And if Superman was real, I’d even hope that he would just drop everything he’s doing at the Daily Planet and fly over and negotiate to these 2 parties to prevent further bloodshed. But since he doesn't exist in real life, I just hope that the Superman within us can help make even a small difference to our country. That would definitely be...super.
I finally found my answer…after 20 years. Funny I need to waste that much time to realize that Superman should be on top of my superheroes list. Going over specifics is basically another story, but in a nutshell the fact that this hero emphasized on truth and justice, and ceaselessly fights crime in Metropolis is something I can easily dissect, if given the chance. Of course there is this ongoing theme of their love story, on why it is something that most hopeless romantics [like me] cherish, but the bottomline is that I entirely understand this hero’s story. Why “Superman is what he can do, and Clark is who he really is.” is the revolving theme during the Superman of the 90s. I know why he thinks like that, and why he saves people from trouble and danger. On why he cares, and why he uses his powers to do good and nothing more. It is something I can openly share, without hesitation, without fear, and definitely without doubt. As long as it is about the Lois and Clark of the 90s, I can just rant on and on and on and I can even cite episodes, if you will!
I also would like to think that with what is really going on in my region, in the world, and even in my surroundings, it still pays to keep in mind what this hero truly stood for. The more I think about his morals and ethics, the more I realize that no matter how the cruel the world can be, and no matter how people can be against you, the most important weapon that a person can have is his/ her principles. On what they truly believe in. On what they really stand for on this earth.
And that is what I will be. I may not have super powers. I may not even be a person of power and influence, but I believe like the Man of Steel, if I hold on to my values, if I continue to believe that doing things right is still the best thing, then I know I can give enough power to make a difference. And one way of putting that to action is choosing the right words and venue to express my opinion.
I’m afraid that I will be flooding the timeline again about that good ‘ol TV show, and because of that, I apologize again. Rest assured that those Superman tweets are accompanied with a silent prayer for the people in Zamboanga, and a fervent wish that this will be over soon. That the good will prevail over evil, and that both the MNLF and the government will agree on keeping Zamboanga---and the rest of Mindanao peaceful. And if Superman was real, I’d even hope that he would just drop everything he’s doing at the Daily Planet and fly over and negotiate to these 2 parties to prevent further bloodshed. But since he doesn't exist in real life, I just hope that the Superman within us can help make even a small difference to our country. That would definitely be...super.
