An Oscar for senior citizens

It’s a good thing President Arroyo is not superstitious. Or maybe she is, and that is why she did not go to the EDSA site for the People Power celebration yesterday. Only Vice President Noli de Castro was there, together the old reliable, former President Fidel Ramos. But news reporters were quick to point out some incidents which seemed to bug the Malacañang-supported celebration. First, the Philippine Flag refused to rise up the pole as it was being raised during the singing of the National Anthem. Up to the end of the singing, the Flag refused to go up. What ever could that mean?

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Reports said Army Chief Hermogenes Esperon had to transfer the Flag to another pole to raise it. The raising there was no longer shown on TV, if it did rise at last. Metro Manila Development Authority head Bayani Fernando was shown shaking his head. “Parang hindi maganda (It does not look good) no?” He was heard saying. Not only was it the Flag that was not cooperating. The male singer who rendered “Pilipinas kong Mahal” also got shocked when the accompanying music also stalled. But where was the President? Why wasn’t she there, she who was a beneficiary of People Power? Again it was Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita’s role to explain that she was somewhere else doing her tasks of serving the people.

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I was not very much interested in the Oscar awards since I hardly knew any off the contending actors, nor had I seen any of the movies nominated. And sure enough, the winners were probably good actors, but were not really too well known. That is because all of them – best actor and actress, best supporting actor and actress – were all foreign ones, coming from Ireland, France, Spain, and Scotland. What, no Americans? Well, it seems American movie personalities were more preoccupied with rehabilitations, lawsuits, divorces, adoptions, alimonies and all that. They probably had little time to devote to their craft.

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The winner of the best movie award was, I believe, anticipated. It was the one titled “No Country for Old Men”. Maybe it struck a chord in the judges’ hearts, maybe the producers really had a great one. I hope, truly, that movies like that could cheer up elderly people and give them some incentive to hang on. While I am saying this, I have no idea whatsoever about what really is the theme of this one, and if it would be popular in our country. But it will be, worldwide, after this triumph in the Oscars.

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By the way, the Oscars, I understand, were presented again at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood. Between you and me, I was not so impressed by that structure. But I guess we have different ideas, probably it has all the best facilities for major presentations. For that matter, the first time I went to Broadway, I was also disappointed, since I did not see the grandiose edifice I had imagined. My first thought was, Sus, the Cultural Center of the Philippines designed and built by Negrense Lindy Locsin is more impressive than that.

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Anyway, while we are talking about the old men immortalized in the Oscar-winning film, I remembered the clipping sent by Miss Loreto “Ito” Coruña, retired English teacher and one of the gifted mentors who were the Coruña sisters, which she said came from the Passionist Monastery in Union City, New Jersey, which might be called the Beatitudes for Friends of the Aged. The verses go: Blessed are they who understand my faltering steps and shaking hand. Blessed are they who know what my ears today must strain somewhat to hear the things they say to me.

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Blessed are they who seem to know that my eyes are dim and my mind is sometime a little slow these days. Blessed are they who looked away when I spilled my coffee at the table today. Blessed are they who stopped to talk with me a little bit today with a cheerful smile. Blessed are they who never say “You’ve already told us that story many times before”. Blessed are they who know the ways of reminiscing and talk about them with me a little bit.

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Blessed are they who always let me know that I’m loved and respected. Blessed are they who know that sometimes I find it hard to carry the cross of old age. Blessed are they who ease the days of my journey home in loving ways.

“No country for old men? Maybe this wistful and poignant thoughts of one old person will make those aren’t there yet understand them more.*

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