Everybody's Searching for a Hero

I have recently concluded reading Bob Ong's Kapitan Sino and the words (both written and unwritten) struck me like a car blazing at night. The issues were not new to me, they are as old as I can remember and plain for me, but the fact that someone has written the actual facts that most desire to ignore and those that cared can't say it in words made me sport a smile as I read.

The entire time I cannot help but play a familiar song in my head:

Everybody's searching for a hero
People need someone to look up to
....
- The Greatest Love of All

Why do we need a hero? Someone else to sweep us out of our miseries, protect us and give everything up for our well being and when something goes wrong we blame him, it's everybody's fault except me. We take and take until there's no more and then move on to the hero in waiting.

Sad, but true. Like most youngsters, I used to dream of becoming a hero. Not like superman or batman, those guys were great but I looked up to Rizal, Bonifacio, Sajid Bulig(the boy who saved drowning people in a pagoda). I wanted to make a difference, but the world ate me up. I didn't do anything big, don't fret. People just take what you hand them and you're so lucky if you get a glimmer of gratitude. No wonder we're short of patriots and heroes; we just gobble them all up.

I am not ranting, let's get that straight. My dreams were mine, my issues my issues. I still have a deep desire to change the world (a bit too optimistic for my age, says some) and no one can make me think twice otherwise.

"Ikaw ang bayani ng sarili mong buhay. Ang bida sa sarili mong nobela." Lines most said and read but done not too often. If we fall, whose fault is it? If we fail to meet our goals, who is to blame? If were poor, weak or tired who do we go to?

These times are hard, I know, been there done that, but what good is to complain or point out blame. Why can't we rise?

I never got to fly a kite but I know wind and gravity will always resist it's rise, but somehow, if the child doesn't give up, with the help of a good blow of air the kite will rise and remain in the air where it belongs - help because if the wind is too strong, giving the kite everything he is, the kite is soon torn to pieces.