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We are a certified superhero-loving nation. We melt whenever the
hunky Superman parades through the skies. We dream to soar like
Robin and ride the Batmobile. Also, our homegrown heroes have
flown out of comic books and television and into the masses’
hearts. Timeless characters such as Darna or Captain Barbell had not
only been defeating villains but also conquering box offices and TV
ratings. We share their adrenalin whenever they fight, and cry along
with their dramas in life. Maybe we’ve been too busy screaming or
sighing that we never hear that small voice inside crying out for
help.
In the real world, sadly, superheroes don’t
roam the streets. We are only left to either be the victims or the
villains. “Victims” languish from lack of food, education and
opportunities, while the “villains” have the time of their
lives, fattening their pockets and their stomachs. Where have all
the superheroes gone? Have they retired or gone somewhere since they
couldn’t handle the responsibilities of being a hero? Or have they
become villains after seeing how their evil deeds glorify them
instead of getting them jailed? Have these “superheroes” given
in to the temptation of a good life ignoring the poor and powerless,
or were there never really any superheroes to begin with?
Before you analyze that, let’s read about this
superhero making waves these days: Jun Cruzada and his amazing
adventures (or misadventures):
Like any other superhero, Jun never knew that he
had it in him. It suddenly just pops out; then you realize your
inimitable ability that buoys you up from the throng of ordinary
people. He always had a strong pair of lungs and a heart that can
take extreme pressure, which got him his nickname, “the
whistle-blower.” He knew that he could blow people away, with the
veracity of his words and the air in his system. So that’s what he
did and concentrated on, until the time he met his nemesis, an alien
codenamed, “ZDE.” It was a big robotic force which could power
up Internet stations and establishments everywhere, operated by mad
scientists who worked surreptitiously, until of course he blew away
the secret underground laboratory away and revealed their schemes
and operations. But is it the end? Are his powers enough to save
himself? Was the concert done last Monday in “his honor” enough
to make him a true hero? Stay tuned to his future exploits.
Jun Cruzada is no longer an ordinary man; but is
he hero enough to inspire the change we deserve to see? Or should he
change his name from Cruzada to Loss-ada? Will he be just lashing
burly muscles and fake smiles for the tabloid photographers, but
will not really get to contribute anything lasting, beneficial or
effective?
Maybe, what we should all learn to do is to stop
holding on to that thought that one day, someone clad in spandex
will just fall from the skies and fire away at our problems. We
always applaud superheroes that come to help us, but then what
happens is we just become dependent on their false hopes and empty
promises. We have to accept the fact that no one is coming to save
us.
When will we learn that the Philippines will not
find economic growth in a day, or all our political problems will
not be solved in just one click, thanks to those who do nothing but
squander the nation’s money? Let’s stop using superheroes as our
escape from reality and then come back seeing things more dismal
before we left it. They’re fictional characters; we are real. You
can only change one person and that is yourself; and that act is
where superheroes come from. So as young as you are, make yourself
useful; quit waiting for someone else to end your plight. Every
Filipino has got what it takes to become a hero for himself, then
for others; and that can only be achieved by making more of
ourselves than what we think we can become. For once, learn to look
within, and set that superhero inside you free.
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