A happy birthday

DIE HARD III
Herman Tiu Laurel
10/9/2006



I was awakened at two in the morning of my birthday with happy news: the texts regarding Gen. Esperon’s sacking of JAGO (Judge Advocate General Office) Colonel Henares for his findings of “insufficiency of evidence” in the GMA regime’s mutiny case against Gen. Danny Lim. According to the text from my very reliable friends Colonel Henares recommended the dismissal of the case. It was a very welcomed, if unintended gift on my 55th birthday, for no wish could be more meaningful to me than something of such relevance for all.

When the sun rose I marveled at an even greater gift: fifty-five years and being among the eighty-five percentile of my peers still alive. Counting those among my generation that have moved on I can tell you that by this age about fifteen percent have moved on to their final resting place. The most recent of was “Joes”, not a public person so most of you wouldn’t know him, died on a plane to L.A. Before that it was GMA political adviser Joey Rufino, younger than me when he fought his last to keep the life in his liver going.

At middle age cardiovascular and intestinal well-being are gifts that not even the prospect of the fall of GMA can equal. Yet, I don’t really know; GMA is still blocking the path to democratic restoration and I with the nation feeling the national constipation. Purgative events like Col. Henares’ exoneration of Gen. Danny Lim helps a lot, coming after our painful empatso from the Merceditas-Abalos episode. The discomforts Esperon and Gloria will face from Col. Henares’ findings is sweet revenge.

I read from Albert Schweitzer: “Happiness is nothing more than good health and a bad memory.” My good health is a gift I work hard to give myself. When I can’t sleep well I’d rise and run at three in the morning. I walk under the moonlight after dinner whenever I can. If it weren’t for the crusade to bring down the fraudulent and pernicious regime I would emulate the seventy-six year old friend Henry L. who follows a strict regimen of raw vegetarian diet and scuba diving for oxygenation.

A great gift for writers is being proven right. The past week the Philippine Electricity Market Corp. denounced the price manipulation in the electricity spot market allegedly done by PSALM. I may be the only writer in the Philippines crusading against the electricity spot market and now its proponents are themselves saying it is manipulated. In the next few months I will see the vindication of my crusade against automatic voting machines controlled by big corporations – and Abalos’ cheating machines.

I’d like to give myself and the family a vacation gift, to the wide open beaches and the sea. Last time was five years ago was when I swam with the Butanding (whale shark) at Donsol, Sorsogon with the family. Years before that was a tour of Western Visayas, like frolicking with dolphins off Bais, Negros. Of course, last year we spent a gray November weekend in Morong, Bataan; but it was indeed a gray year, when my parents passed away.

A good memory for good memories is important, that is the sense Schweitzer intended. Bad memories are for other times. We must also plant seeds of good memories: I’ll be sending a widowed mother something for a son’s hospitalization and for a mastectomy; yesterday, I brought friends to a fishing company to start fish trading livelihood and augment their incomes. One wish that will take some time to come true is for no Filipinos to ever be desperate for basic needs anymore, something really possible as we see in developed countries.

I think giving is the essence of birth and birthdays. We are born for a purpose and if we are to be a contribution in this life, I think we should realize that we are here to give. Everything about our human existence is about giving: our parents gave life to use as we give it to our children. Who knows when the giving began? Christians say it began with Creation, Buddhists say it has no beginning. If being born were not intended for creating more givers the world would be less with each birth than becoming more.

My daughter greeted me days ago but I warned her not to buy me anything. Christmas is around the corner, the birth of Christ; yet the Christmas jingles we hear in the department store is not really telling us to “give” but to “buy”. In our commercialized culture not to buy to give is unthinkable. To give in many other ways than something that is bought just isn’t the “thing”, you’re a cheapskate if you don’t bring a nice package all wrapped in glittering wraps and ribbons. Christ, when he was born, had nothing but his life, no more no less, which he gave.

I mopped and swept the floor, cleaned the aquariums, washed dishes and pots, working out a heavy sweat. No birthday dinner, eating at night is not good for me and my wife at our age; only three p.m. merienda with the family. I am happy. As the modern Buddha, Bobby MacFarrin says: Don’t worry, be happy. My friends, thanks for the countless text greetings - when we are happy we win.