Little Bad Boy

 

"THERE WILL NEVER BE ANY HOME IN WHICH YOU ARE SO LOVED AS THAT IN BRUSSELS, SO YOU LITTLE BAD BOY, HURRY BACK..." -Suzaine

The state ment above made some of us think why Suzaine wrote that line in her letter for Rizal. Some said that Rizal was a bad boy who played silly games with so many ladies wherever he go…but others said that the statement was a complement for Rizal amidst his medium built, he was able to mend with some people and made them like him. We may never know exactly why she called him a "little bad boy." But it does make our national hero come down to earth as a playful and genuine man who aimed for better change.

All of us know that Jose Rizal is out national hero who proved to us that the stylus is more potent than the claymore. He used his pen to move every Filipino heart and to reveal how Spaniards abused our rights to be free in our own land.

Rizal is indeed a great hero…but when I watched the documentary video in I Witness hosted by Howie Severino about Rizal, I figured out that our national hero had also enjoyed like the way we enjoy and have a great time having fun while learning and exploring at the same time.

In Europe, Rizal’s life was fun and free. He could do whatever he wanted and seize the moments of his stay there and enjoy the company of some good friends. He stayed in places that are now named after him, he did odd things like posing in a photograph wearing a lady’s costume and partying in a bar and getting along with some girls. I think, those experiences and things that he did made him into someone who is genuine and a mere representation of a typical Filipino who is dynamic and could mend with diverse cultures.

Rizal’s relatives are really proud that in their blood runs the immortal seed of a hero. Rizal may not be a perfect person just what others expect and see themselves but one thing I like most is the fact that he’s not too good to be true. He may be imperfect but at least, he’s real---a real hero who is one of the reasons why we live with sovereignty.