Counting Potatoes

Are You Not Entertained??

(posted June 29,2008)

Eerie silence walked the streets of the whole country as its people huddled in silent groups, praying to their personal gods. Not a single taxi prowled the empty streets, nor was a single establishment open for business. Even the Southern rebels are quiet, moved to an unofficial ceasefire by an event bigger than their cause. It was a scene straight out of "I am legend" or perhaps "Resident Evil" where all the people on the set are either dead or dying.

Nope, this blog aint about Armageddon and the people on their knees aint praying for deliverance, world peace or the likes. Instead, these people are praying to their gods for blood. After all, today is Pacquiao's fight with Diaz and he needs all the divine help he can get to land some really nasty punches on his opponent right? So you can pretty much imagine God's phone lines jammed with pinoys' prayers of a knockdown win for Manny.

Suddenly the silence shatters as Diaz finally falls down and as people jump out of their seats to scream their pleasure. Manny Pacquiao.. Four times world champion at last!! for a while the whole country forgets its worries as the adrenalin takes over and the euphoria of the moment kicks in.

Morales, Barerra, Marquez, Diaz... Is there no one else??? a poster shouts from out in the sidelines...

Weird but suddenly a thought invades my mind at that very moment..

A few hours from now, the adrenalin and the dopamine's gonna wear off and all these people watching will be going back to their dreary lives.

Is there no one else?

Well, what about the taxi, jeepney and bus drivers who will be going back out into the streets trying to scratch a living out of the rising fuel prices?

...the bigshots line up and smile for the camera all the while patting their prizefighter in the back. There's going to be a hell of a celebration tonight.

But what about the ordinary people who have to go back to work tomorrow and try to figure out how to contend with the rising energy prices, cost of education and food shortages? Will the P500 Meralco dole out really cut it?

Is there no one else?

What about the thousands of new graduates being forced to be away from their families just so they can have a better shot at life?

What about the thousands still out there in the streets looking for jobs and ending up underpaid, overworked and overtaxed?

Just minutes ago, the country was transformed from a bickering, fractured nation into a country unified behind one man.. now at the pinnacle of his career, everyone is asking..

Is there no one else?

Well, what about us?

What about the things that really matters?

Brings to mind the gladiatorial bouts the Roman mob were so fond of during ancient times - with Gloria throwing out scraps of bread and meat now and then to keep the people satisfied.

Don't get me wrong, I'm as proud of Manny as any person here in our country..

What I'm not proud of is our inability to express the same level of unity anywhere else.

	Are You Not Entertained??