THE SNAIL by HENRI MATISSE

THE SNAIL by HENRI MATISSE

(Gouache on paper, cut and pasted, mounted on canvas for support:

2864 x 2870 mm on paper, unique)

The Snail, also known as the L’escargot, by Henri Matisse was made in the year 1953, a year before he died. This work is very large, nearly three meters square. At first sight it appears to be an abstract arrangement of vibrant colored, geometric blocks on a white background. The blocks of color are arranged in a loose spiral suggesting the shape of a snail’s shell. Instead of being painted directly onto canvas, the blocks of color are made from pieces of paper that have been painted in a water based paint called gouache. The brightly painted paper has been torn and cut into uneven shapes and stuck onto a white paper background. The whole composition has then been stuck onto canvas.

It is a remarkably energetic work considering he was eighty four and suffering from poor health. Confined to either his bed or his wheelchair, Matisse was forced to develop an entirely new technique. He would cut and tear directly into colored sheets of paper without making any preliminary drawings. Matisse described this as like ‘drawing straight into color’. Rather than having to build up the color on the canvas as he had throughout his career, Matisse was now taking color as his starting point. He would carve into the colored paper with his scissors to reveal shapes, liberated by the simplicity and directness of his new technique.

Matisse’s art was always based on observation of the world around him. The spiral is an essential form in nature, found in such things as plant structures, sea shells and pine cones. Although the snail is a humble animal, its shell represents a pattern of universal movement. The spiral is described by the geometric shards of color that lie along its line of movement. The bright pinks, red, blue, greens, oranges and yellow bear no relation to the dusty earth colors of a living snail. Instead Matisse has selected and arranged colors solely to maximize their vibrancy and the overall decorative effect. He does this by boldly exploiting the basic principles of color theory. In color theory there are three types of color that are the basic building blocks; primary, secondary and complementary. The primary colors are red, yellow and blue. They are called primary because you cannot create these colors by mixing other colors. However, different combinations of the three primary colors will create every other color in the spectrum. Secondary colors are a mix of two primary colors and they are green, mauve and orange. Complementary colors are the pairing of a secondary color with the remaining primary, for instance green (a mix of blue and yellow) and red. When complementary colors are placed beside each other they appear stronger and more vibrant. Although color theory sounds simple, it is very complex because colors are infinitely varied. In the same way that the word ‘apple’ covers hundreds of different varieties of the fruit, all of which have slightly different tastes, smells and textures, the term ‘red’ describes a color that varies hugely in intensity, shade and hue. To complicate matters still further, our perception of each variation of red is also affected by the colors placed nearby. Matisse’s great skill was in achieving a perfect orchestration between colors so that they sing before our eyes. Like a conductor he also controls the rhythm and pace of the work, which is reflected in the alternative title he gave it ‘Chromatic Composition’.

The choice of colors in The Snail is not random or purely technical. In the same way that the spiral refers to a snail’s shell, the colors are a response to the landscape of the Mediterranean where Matisse lived and worked. The citrus oranges and yellow, brilliant blue, hot reds and pinks and lush greens, reflect the intense heat and light of the South of France, its sun, sea, sky and vibrant colors of the land. The Snail is therefore not an accurate representation of the natural world, but a meditation on the pleasure and harmony that can be found in nature.

In my opinion, Henri Matisse work is more than a representation of a snail, as it may obviously be seen at first. I like the way he used the colors, matched them perfectly with each other. But I love the idea and feeling and image of what these colors had given as an effect. It is not about the piece that speaks a lot about colors, but it is that the artist himself is being represented by the colors that he used. Matisse’s way of self-expression is as influential today as it was in his time. Many modernists like me, look up to him… and use his techniques, ideas and his artworks to inspire our own pieces. I agree to what Casey Klahn has said in her blog: “Matisse’s artistic direction was purely his own; unique and self-directed. A legacy worth more than gold, I’d say.” An ordinary person may dislike this work and say, “Even fourth-graders can do that!”, but of course, they would never understand (unless they are artists, themselves) that these kinds of artworks are genius, in which great artist had put together creativity, imagination, colors, shape, form, lines, self-expression, reality and authenticity of the world and nature—all in one piece.

References:

http://www.tate.org.uk/imap/pages/animated/cutout/matisse/snail.htm. Date retrieved:

February 16, 2009. 2:40PM.

My Ironic COnflict Management Strategy

Conflict is a part of every interpersonal relationship, whether between parents and children, between brothers and sisters, or between friends, lovers or coworkers. If it isn’t, the relationship is dull, irrelevant, or insignificant. The major positive value of interpersonal conflict is that it forces you to closely examine a problem that you might otherwise avoid and to work toward a potential solution. If you both can use productive conflict strategies, a stronger, healthier, and more satisfying relationship may well emerge from the encounter. The very fact that you are trying to resolve a conflict means that you feel the relationship is worth the effort; otherwise, you would walk away from the problem. Through conflict you learn more about each other and with that knowledge comes understanding. (DeVito 148-149)
Although I do accept that this definition is true and inevitable in an interpersonal relationship, I approach conflict very differently. As much as possible, I avoid having the slightest constraint with my friends, coworkers, relatives and even strangers. It is not the conflict that makes me uncomfortable, but the process I would have to go through because of it.
In our family, communication is not a regular activity. We don’t feel obligated or have the need to tell our parents, siblings, cousins, or anyone in the house how we are feeling or how our day had been. We are all introverts in the family; we seldom talk because we feel there is not much to talk about and we value privacy like it’s the number one rule inside the house. So when it comes to having conflicts, we usually avoid confrontations, or simply walk away like nothing happened. And because of that, I resort to gunnysacking. Gunnysacking, as DeVito defines it, is the practice of storing up grievances for unloading at another time. (155) Conflict makes me uncomfortable, mainly because I do not know how to deal with it properly. I avoid confrontations at all costs, even if it means that I do not talk to the other person for months. I just don’t want to talk about it, even if it is my fault. But based on experience, gunnysacking proves to worsen the problem. When the time comes that I cannot hold it in anymore, I explode, which results to another round of conflict, only this time, confrontation is a must and both parties know that the process isn’t going to be pretty. I vent all the anger and blame to him/her. I have this not-so-good talent of turning the situation and the odds to my side during a conversation without the other person knowing. So I try to win the situation and I seldom give in to compromise. However, after all the bashing and cussing and venting it all out, I come to realize that the problem has not been resolved and more damage has been done because of my behavior. I usually take some time out (the time I spend depends on the gravity of the situation and the damage done) before I initiate another confrontation. A more peaceful confrontation, that is. We try to talk things over and I try to be vocal about it even if it is uncomfortable, because at some point I realize that I am tired of carrying a burden that I didn’t know I have before. It will occur to me that I was in denial, and of course, gunnysacking, the whole time which is ironic because I do not want to be involved in a conflict in the first place. It was me who made it a whole lot worse because of my rotten strategy. At this part, it is obvious that I do feel kind of guilty because of what I have done, so I cover it up by “proposing” a solution. I have said earlier that I do have this talent of manipulating the odds to my convenience, and that talent is what I use to persuade the other party to agree and think of it as the best solution there is. I always assume that when I do this, it means that the conflict is done. But there are times that it only creates another problem. I didn’t know why it happens; not until now. Julia T. Wood discusses one aspect of interactional theory which is called punctuation. It says that we punctuate interaction by designating the start and stop of episodes of interaction. Communication functions as long as all parties agree on punctuation. Both partners in marriage agree on when particular episodes begin and end, so they understand what is happening in interaction. But if partners differ in how they punctuate communication, misunderstanding and conflict may arise. (196) Knowing this gave me a new perspective on dealing with conflicts. Assuming that the conflict is done without confirming that the solution is favorable for both parties will only result to another misunderstanding.
I knew that no matter what I do, I would have to face and deal with conflicts in my relationships. I just didn’t know then how to do it properly when my mind is set to win the situation and not to make a progress in the relationship. Writing this essay helped me to evaluate, and thus gave me lessons, new perspective and of course, strategies on how to manage conflict properly. I would like to end this essay with a quote from Joseph Joubert which says, “The aim of an argument or discussion should not be victory, but progress.”


References:
DeVito, Joseph A. “Interpersonal Communication: Conversation and Conflict.” Essentials of Human Communication. Pearson Education, Inc. 2005. 148,155.
Wood, Julia T. “Theories of Communication Dynamics.” Communication Theories in Action:An Introduction. Wadsworth Publishing Co. 1999. 196.

(again, I wrote this for a job. Plagiarism is a crime.)

Classified: UBER CHEESY (My '7th HEaven essay)

7th Heaven
I consider “7th Heaven” as the ultimate, most powerful, most endearing and smartest creation in the field of television, and clearly, my all-time favorite among all TV series. My cousins and I used to watch 7th Heaven a lot. Right after doing our school assignments and chores, during weekends, during the Holy Week, every time there’s a marathon of 7th Heaven, you’ll find us doing nothing except eating whatever food there is and watching in front of the TV. This is the kind of show that makes us stop whatever it is that we are doing just by the mere mention of its title. 7th Heaven has influenced us, especially me, on how we view our family, how we value the people around us, and how to make the right decisions in life. Cheesy as it may sound, but yes, it does change your perspectives and priorities—the kind of show that makes you say “Wow, that’s something. I never thought of (it, him, her) that way.” What I like most about this show is that although its main theme is family, it doesn’t end there. It shows that family is the first and center of all our relationships, but it affects everything else. Add to this the perspective of a Christian family—a perspective that puts God as the root, the cause, the goal, the sole purpose, the guide, the focus of your existence as an individual, as a member of a family, of the society, of the world.
I remember the first time I saw 7th Heaven. I thought it was just one of those non-sense TV series, but when I started watching it—well, I just couldn’t stop. It keeps me waiting and wanting for the next episode (since they always have a new issue or topic, not the “to be continued” type) and every time I watch it, at the end of the show, I always have something to write about and share to my classmates. These lessons that they incorporate in the dialogues, in the scenes, in the issues in the show are what makes 7th Heaven worth the viewer’s time. The fun part about watching it with your family (and in my case, it’s just my cousins because I live with them) is that you learn from the Camdens. You learn how to love in spite of their flaws. You learn how to understand and accept your opposites in the family. You learn to appreciate your differences and make use of it to further improve your relationships. And most importantly, you learn how to communicate, and make use of the term “proper timing”.
My family is very different from that of the Camdens, but still, what 7th Heaven teaches us applies to any body. This show had influenced me to the point that I told myself that someday, when I have my own family, I would raise my kids like how Eric and Annie did with the little Camdens. My family and friends could testify that this show has caused a major change (and it was for the better) on my relationships. I learned (and I’m sure you will, too) that the most important thing to remember when it comes to your family is ‘love’. It is this four-letter word that can heal and forgive Mom or Dad or Brothers or Sisters when they’ve done you wrong. It is this word that makes Grandpa or Grandma smile at the beginning and end of the day. It will always be this word that will guide and tell you what to do, and it will always turn out to be the right thing. This word, ‘love’, is the one word—together with your family— that will allow you to stand up, move, and rise up above any challenge when the rest of the world pulls you down.

- I wrote this Feb. 9, 2009 5:30 to 5:58am for a job. Pardon me for the cheesiness… haha! They’re quite true, anyways.. =) -

Under Pressure Essay

I was asked to make a short essay.
Topic: My Hero
Time: 15 Minutes
And it doesn’t help that they have a countdown right there in the screen while you’re working. So when I need to think, I look down. Kinda stupid. haha. But well, here’s what I was able to produce. Presenting my hero: mom.

A hero for me is someone who is eager and forceful to create a change in the place or environment or even in a situation that he/she is in. I would consider my mother as my personal hero. She is cool,daring and very determined in everything that she does. She shows fearlessness and selflessness when placed in a situation that asks otherwise. She fights for the recognition of women and their power in the society. She knows that women can do what men can. They need not to be treated as seconds, but equals. When crisis hits her, it would never drag her down. She will always look for ways to rise above that crisis and would never, ever give up. I sometimes wonder how she does it. She makes tiring issues and problems seem untiring. She radiates and exudes a lot of strength. I look up to her as my inspiration and some kind of a "pressure or push" so that I could also rise above the challenges given to me.


ANd oh! the words in bold are the keywords. It is mandatory that I use them in the essay. phew!

SUPER SIZE ME

SUPERSIZE ME

I have never written a movie review before, technically speaking, because I believe that the other “movie reflections” I did was just school requirements and not all of them were composed solely of my ideas. So, yes, this will be my first and definitely not the last.

à What’s the best way to spend your vacation? Others may say that it is when you go out with your friends, or go to the beach, eat out, go out of town or even out of the country…
Well, not needing to get out of bed – except for lunch and dinner breaks and cr breaks – and having movie marathons while eating whatever is my basic and simplest idea to spend my vacation, being a couch potato that I am. Today is the 3rd of November 2008 and all I did was watch these four “two-thumbs up” movies. I don’t know why I chose this movie as my finale for the day, but it made me write this. Very interesting, I might say!

The title of this movie is “Supersize Me”. I wonder if you’ve heard of it. It’s been on our movie rack for years and years and I don’t know what came over me to finally decide to give it a try. But this isn’t actually a movie, I believe; it’s more of a documentary.
Oh, whatever. It’s a movie, all right.

A guy named Morgan Spurlock, an American filmmaker with a very healthy body wanted to do an experiment to prove that fast foods are EVIL… and in this case, McDonalds was placed in the hot seat. He will eat three times a day nothing but McDonalds. He laid down three rules: One, he has no options but to eat only what was available over the counter (water included!). Two, no supersizing (it’s Go Large here in the Philippines) unless offered, and three, he had to eat every item on the menu at least once. He went to different McDonalds branches (I think one for each state) with a friend and one cameraman. I would like to quote a part of the synopsis written at the back of the CD just to summarize what took place. It says,

“It all adds up to a fat food bill, harrowing visits to the doctor, and compelling viewing for anyone who’s ever wondered if man could live on fast food alone. The film explores the horror of school lunch programs, declining health and physical education classes, food addictions and the extreme measures people take to lose weight and regain their health.”

After watching the movie, no…even while watching it, I had repeatedly told myself that I would never eat at McDonalds or any fast food as often as I do now. I eat out often primarily because I don’t have the leisure of time to cook and I live away from the parents, which means that I don’t get the “sermons” on what to and not to eat. I basically wanted to try every single restaurant and fast food chain in Baguio (I think I’m down to just one more at Session Road) before I graduate. But don’t get me wrong. I love to cook and I’m not a big spender, either (well, sometimes, when desperate times call for it). I happen to eat at least twice to thrice a month at McDonalds, and it’s not even on a regular basis. But still, I eat a lot of fries and burgers, and drink a lot of Mcfloats, and I love it, and I crave for it. And I easily give in to these cravings. No wonder I get the same “You look fatter” “Did you gain some weight?” greetings when I come down here in Manila. Before, I didn’t believe that McDonalds could get you fat… that one hamburger is equal to tons of calories or carbs or fat, whatever the difference between them is. I don’t know! Wow!
Surprisingly, it was mentioned in the movie that these kinds food could actually make you stupid. Morgan asked people on the spot and they don’t even know what a calorie is! Well, now I know what it is. Do you? ;)

In just a matter of weeks, a very healthy young man named Morgan started to have chest pains, very severe headaches, waking up in the wee hours of the morning because he has difficulty in breathing, dizziness and feeling of nausea in the morning, throwing up in the streets, and guess what…

He got addicted to it! He feels depressed when he’s not eating McDonalds, and becomes very happy when he is.

PLUS: IT HAS AFFECTED HIS SEX LIFE! His girlfriend would have to be on “top” because Morgan is too tired… He climaxes, yes, but his girlfriend testifies that it’s way too different than before.

Enormous weight gain, fat bellies, and mood swings in just one month… wow! Can you handle that? Mind you, it took him TWO months to detox and ONE year and TWO months to go back being 185lbs…

This movie hit me hard that I’ve really decided that this semester I would definitely go for the “healthy living”. I would plan my diet and exercise routines. I might even join taekwondo or whatever extra-curricular activity is out there. Plus, I’d do a lot of walking and no more “couch potato”. I’m 18 now, so I’ve decided that it’s my time to take things seriously. And that would definitely include my well-being. Inside and out. No more playing and fooling around. I could do that once in a while, but yeah, I’d had enough of those. ;) We need to…uh… you know… grow up! ;)
I need to take care of my body, balance everything. Eat healthy, sweat more, grow with much better physique, live healthily inside and out. Unless I do this now, I would definitely come to the point where I’d regret having this kind of lifestyle that I live now.

Now I sound like my elders.

But seriously, I’m just 18 and I can already feel that something’s wrong with my body. Before anything goes worse, I need to take action.

So, for those of you out there who thinks that you’ve got a lot of time, you’re so young that you can still burn all of those fat that had piled up…tsk…tsk! Better think twice…
I bet you don’t want to go through any kind of operation, eh? I dare you to watch this movie and learn from it. Philippines is whole lotta different from the U.S. but hey! Burgers are still burgers, nuggets are still nuggets, fries will remain fries, McDonalds is a business and it will remain that way as long as money comes in, and unhealthy food will always be UNHEALTHY FOOD! It’s just up to us to choose wisely, eat wisely, and live wisely!


Have a nice day and come again ;)

14 children and still pregnant!

As I was trying to unwind (gee, it’s finals week), a particular show on TV caught my attention. It was on Discovery Channel Home & Health (one of my faves nowadays) and it was entitled “14 Children and still pregnant!” or something like that. Then I said, “What in the world!?” …and decided that I have to know what in the world of this family was really happening. I put down the remote and finished the show, so there it is, a happy family with fourteen kids plus no.15 on the way… SPELL INCREDIBLE. And here’s the greatest thing about it: They’re not in chaos!!! They are so organized, soo… phew – good people! Well, they’re Christians, just like me, so they’ve given me an idea on how to manage my family in the near future (I’m so excited haha) regardless of how many kids my future husband and I could make. I’ve always wanted a quiet home, so I told myself that I would have 3 kids at most. But upon seeing this show, oh wow, I’m thinking of having as many as God wanted me to have.
Jim Bob and his wife, (forgot the name, sorry, they’re just too many!) were asked questions like how do they do it, manage and provide, like, financially support each child’s needs? And who would have guessed their answer… They don’t loan, or borrow money unless it’s very, very important at the time. If they don’t have the money, they don’t buy. They save. They don’t have debts!!! Wow! Talk about stress-free life. Financially, they’re very much okay. They have a pantry filled (and when I say it’s filled, IT IS FILLED) with food and all the other stuffs that they need. They eat more than three times a day, but they’re healthy and not overweight. Mommy looked so pretty with that long curly brown hair, and she doesn’t look like one who has 14 children and 1 on-board! She’s like some Victorian/Helenistic type of woman. Daddy’s soooo… neat. =D And good-looking too. They all are! Especially the little ones, so adorable! I’m sorry, but I’m just so amazed by them. ;)
They have a huge chart and some checklists pasted on the wall. Mommy said that it was their “master schedule”. It consists of their daily activities or chores and the ‘buddies’ who are assigned to accomplish them. She also admitted that it’s just impossible to finish everything that they’ve written there for the day. But at least they have a goal for each day, something to remind or tell them where they’re going. So they’re days are always ended with thanksgiving and contentment and satisfaction. Isn’t that genius?
Okay, so let’s talk about the kids. They have two sets of twins, and the girls are outnumbered. Their eldest is a boy, same as the youngest (that’s no.15 – yep, during the show, Mommy gave birth to no. 15, so the viewers all around the world witnessed his first cry! It was even mentioned that this baby boy would be the ‘most hugged’ baby of all. Yea, we get it!) Mommy and Daddy thought of the “buddy system” so they wouldn’t have to worry for each one. Plus, everyone gets Mommy and Daddy’s attention (it may not be their whole attention -- of course, that wouldn’t be possible, but at least everyone gets to be Mommy or Daddy’s ‘buddy’ once in a while!). They’ve got different personalities; extroverts and introverts and those that are kind of in between. From the eldest to the youngest at the time of the interview (that means it was still no. 14), Mommy was asked to describe each child. There are some who are born leaders, some who are just quiet, the sweetest, the comedian, the giver, the little angel, etc. They are home-schooled (and everyone’s loving it, even Mommy, they’re teacher) and each child is REQUIRED to learn two instruments, the piano and the violin. They have their music time, and everyone gets to practice (and for the older ones, to teach) how the instruments are played. Even the youngest gets to play too! But he isn’t allowed to have his own instrument yet, so he has to practice holding the violin properly and how to glide the bow for the meantime.
Everything seem so perfect (for me they’re the ideal family), but as the saying goes, “Nobody/Nothing is perfect”. They have a little problem. Bathroom. They’re living in a house with only two bathrooms, so you get the picture. Still, this little problem led to another amazing thing. They will be moving to a very big, nice house very,very soon! And the amazing part? Except for some visits and advices from friends, Mommy, Daddy and all the rest are the ones building it! SPELL COOL. This is indeed the coolest story I’ve ever known this week, and maybe for the rest of my life. Who knows, I might be able to outdo the record! Ahaha. Just wanted to be featured. Anyway, I’m always on the look for interesting things and stories, so keep reading and posting, too. Ciao!

"KANYA-KANYANG RIZAL"

Kapag tinatanong ako noon kung sino si Rizal para sa akin, ang sagot ko – pambansang bayani – wala ng iba. Iyon naman talaga ang itinuturo sa atin sa paaralan, hindi ba? Pagdating ko ng kolehiyo, narinig ko ang asignaturang PI 100. Tinanong ko sa iilan kung tungkol saan ang PI 100 na ito. Ang sabi nila, “Maganda ‘yun! ‘Yung mga itinuro sa atin noong elementary at hayskul tungkol kay Rizal, naku, walang-wala kapag nag-PI 100 ka na! Makikilala mo ang tunay na Jose Rizal!” Eh … sino nga ba ang tunay na Jose Rizal?

May kanya-kanya tayong Jose Rizal, ‘yan ang sagot ko. Nakuha ko ang linyang ito sa pelikula na pinamagatang “Bayaning 3rd World”. Ang pelikulang ito ay patungkol sa isang direktor at isang scriptwriter na gumagawa ng isang pelikula sa buhay ni Rizal. Binalikan nila ang mga kontrobersiya at isa-isa nilang “kinausap” ang mga taong may kaugnayan sa mga usaping ito, kabilang na ang mga kapatid ni Rizal, at siyempre, si Rizal mismo. Binusisi ang mga kontrobersiyang ito, gaya ng Retraction Letter, ang pagpapakasal (o hindi) nina Joe at Josephine, at ang pagkakadawit ng pangalan ni Rizal sa pagbuo ng samahang-pangrebolusyon. Isa-isa ring lumabas ang mga pangalang Josephine Bracken, Padre Balaguer, ang ina niyang si Donya Lolay (o si Donya Teodora Alonzo, dahil hindi naman daw niya ako kaano-ano) at ang mga kapatid niyang sina Trinidad, Narcisa, at Paciano. Sa mga pag-uusap na iyon sa pelikula, napansin kong wala pa ring nabuong iisang sagot, kung hindi ay nagbigay ito ng kapangyarihan sa mga manunuod para maghusga ayon sa kanilang pagkakaintindi. Nag-iwan ito ng maraming katanungan na ikaw lamang din sa sarili mo ang makakasagot.

Kanya-kanyang Jose Rizal…

Si Rizal…naninigarilyo?

“Ang Rizal na kilala namin ay hindi naninigarilyo!”- ika ni Ricky Davao sa pelikulang “Bayaning 3rd World”. Sigurado nga ba tayong si Rizal ay hindi naninigarilyo? At ano naman kung naninigarilyo siya? O kaya naman ay nagtatabako? Sino ang nagsabi na ang isang bayani ay hindi dapat naninigarilyo? Hanga ako sa sagot ni Rizal sa tanong na ito ni Ricky Davao. “Ilang taon niyo na akong pinag-aaralan ngunit hanggang ngayon ay hindi ninyo pa rin ako kilala!” Kahit sino pa siguro na matalinong tao diyan ay hindi kailanman maipapaliwanag o maipapakilala ang tunay na Jose Rizal dahil kung may isang tao man na tanging makapagsasabi nito ay walang iba kung hindi si Jose Rizal. Sa panahon ngayon, marami nang nailathala na mga akda patungkol sa pagkatao (o pagkabayani) ni Rizal, at nahahati ang mga iyon sa dalawa: depende kung ang manunulat ba nito ay panig kay Rizal o hindi. Sa aming mga babasahin sa PI 100, marami sa mga ito ang halata kung sino nga ba sa mga manunulat ang mga Rizalista (o panig kay Jose Rizal) at kung sino naman ang mga hindi. Para sa mga Rizalista, pilit na pinapabango ang kanyang pangalan sa kanilang mga salita, at pawang ipinapakita na si Rizal ay masyadong magaling para makagawa ng pagkakamali. Kung kaya’t hindi na ako magtataka kung ang ibang tao ay maging Rizalista na rin sa kadahilanang hindi sila marunong pumili at magtanong kung ang kanilang nababasa ay patas na pagtingin. Laking pasalamat ko na lamang na itinuturo sa unibersidad ang pagkilatis sa mga bagay-bagay, na huwag kaagad maniniwala sa mga nababasa kahit gaano pa man kagagaling ang mga pagkakalapat ng mga salita, na maging kritikal. Ngunit kung minsan nga ay nasusobrahan. Malamang ay magkaroon din ng mga taong ayaw kay Rizal, at maaring sa parehong kadahilanan din. Mahirap makilala ang taong patay na. Puro kuro-kuro at mga hula na lamang. Puro pag-aaral na may mga katanungan at butas pa rin.

Kanya-kanyang Rizal…

Si Rizal, ang taong naka-ukit sa piso.

Si Rizal, ang lalaking istatwa sa Luneta.

Si Rizal, ang pangalang ibinigay sa iilang lugar, kalye, at pati na rin sa mga punerarya.

Naaalala ko nung mga unang linggo ng aming semestre, inatasan kami na kumuha ng mga panayam sa mga iba’t-ibang uri ng tao upang tanungin kung sino si Rizal para sa kanila. Ang iba’y nagsabi na siya ay bayani, at ang iba naman ay mas malala pa ang sagot sa aking nabanggit sa itaas.

Isang bayani.

Ano nga ba ang “bayani”? Dahil nga lang ba namatay si Rizal kaya siya tinawag na bayani? Kaya siya pinag-aaralan ngayon? E paano nga ba kung hindi namatay si Rizal? Siya pa kaya ang tinanghal na pambansang bayani? Sa pelikula, “nakapanayam” ng scripwriter si Paciano, at isa ito sa mga nagustuhan ko na pahayag niya: “Ang isang bansang nangangailangan ng bayani ay hindi kailangang pagbuwisan ng buhay.” Hindi dahil sa binaril siya kaya siya naging bayani. OO, hinanap nga ni Rizal ang kamatayan, pero hindi para maging isang bayani. Malinaw niya pang ipinagbilin na ayaw niya na magkaroon ng anibersaryo o kahit ano pang pag-gunita. Pero anong nangyari? Paumanhin, Ginoong Pepe, ngunit para sa akin, patay ka man o buhay, may anibersaryo o wala, ikaw pa rin ang pambansang bayani.

Kanya-kanyang Jose Rizal…

Ngayon, ibabahagi ko sa papel na ito kung sino si Rizal para sa akin. Kagaya ng aking nabanggit, si Rizal ang pambansang bayani. Nabuo ang sagot na ito sa dalawang paraan. Una, dahil ito nga ang nabuong pagkakakilala ko sa kanya dahil na rin sa mga sinabi ng aking mga guro at magulang noong elementarya at hayskul. At pangalawa, dahil sa malalim at masaya naming pagdidiskusyon sa asignaturang PI 100 – JR sa klase ni Sir Isko. Para sa akin, ang isang bayani ay siyang may tunay na pagmamahal sa bayan. Naniniwala akong sapat na ang pagmamahal na iyan para tawagin kang isang bayani, dahil ang pagmamahal na iyan ang magbibigay sa iyo ng lakas para lumaban kung naaapi, tumayo kung madapa man sa mga pagkakamali, gumabay sa iyo kung paano maipapakita sa iba lalo na sa mga dayuhan ang pagmamahal na iyan, at magtutulak sa iyo na lalong pag-ingatan at mapanatili ang kabutihan at pagmamahal na mayroon ka sa susunod na henerasyon. Ngunit, ang pagiging bayani ay hindi katumbas ng pagiging isang diyos. Si Pepe ay tao. Hindi perpekto at walang mahika. Nagkakamali at may damdamin. Ang isang salitang binitawan, kapag inalis mo sa konteksto, ay magkakaroon ng ibang kahulugan. Kung kaya’t ang mga salitang binitawan ni Rizal, kabilang na ang mga nobela at iba pang mga akda niya, ay magkakaroon ng iba’t ibang mga kahulugan base sa mga interpretasyon ng mga taong bumabasa sa kanya, lalo na kung hindi mo pag-aaralan o babalikan ang konteksto na pinanggalingan ni Rizal. At ang mga interpretasyon na ito ay maaring tanggapin at paniwalaan ng publiko, ng mga mambabasa, ng mga makakarinig, ng bawat Pilipino, lalo na kung mahusay at kilalang tao ang magbibigay ng interpretasyon na ito. Bakit? Dahil wala na naman si Rizal para bigyang linaw at paliwanag ang kanyang sarili. Mas malala pa nito, si Rizal ay patay na at nangangahulugan lamang na wala ng pag-asa na maipaglaban pa ang sarili sa mga tumutuligsa at mga naninira sa kanya; mga taong inilalagay si Rizal sa maling konteksto.

Ang depinisyon ko ng bayani ang siya na ring susuporta sa aking paniniwala na ang mga bayani ay hindi lamang sila na ating nakikita sa mga libro ng kasaysayan o iyong mga larawan na nakikita natin na nakasabit sa munisipyo o sa pera. Siya na may pagmamahal sa bayan ay isang bayani, at mas lalong hindi mo kailangang mamatay para tanghaling bayani. Mag-aaral ka man o propesyunal, may trabaho o wala, kung ikaw sa sarili mo ay alam mong kaya mong ipaglaban ang sarili mong bansa at naglalayon kang maging ehemplo sa kapwa mo Pilipino, saludo ako sa iyo, bayani! At salamat kay Rizal, na siyang naging pangunahing ehemplo sa atin. Tama nga ang sinabi nila… Talagang mag-iiba ang pagkakakilala mo kay Jose Rizal kapag napag-aralan mo ang buhay niya sa asignaturang PI 100. Mas nabigyang linaw sa akin ang kahulugan ng salitang “bayani”, naturuan ako na magmahal sa bayan kahit sa mga simpleng pamamaraan, nakilala ko si Jose Rizal sa ibang perspektibo at angulo, at napagtanto ko na siya
ay tao… nangarap, nagtagumpay, naghirap, at malamang ay may mga pagkakamali. Ito ay aking opinyon lamang. Sa huli ay kanya-kanya pa rin naman tayong Jose Rizal.

(REFLECTION PAPER KO SA PI 100.. HEHE THANKS SIR ISKO!)