Influential People

Whenever I turned on the television this past week and chose either one of the two Filipino channels we subscribed to, there was coverage of the late President Cory Aquino's wake and burial. I could not help but feel sad, since regardless of what you thought of her performance as a President, everybody agreed that she was a good person. Nobody ever questioned that, or her sincerity and courage. She influenced many people's lives, obviously her children, but also the millions of Filipinos whose lives were touched by her sacrifices.

The media often build up celebrities, politicians, and other people in the public eye, as idols. Nowhere is this more evident than in the Philippines with fan clubs called the "Sharonians, Kimeralds, Popsters" to name a few. Idols take on personalities larger than life with titles bestowed on them like "The Star for All Seasons, Queen of All Media, Superstar, Megastar". Millions of people aspire to be like them.

I have never belonged to a fan club, it was considered "baduy" even though I would be the first to admit that I was a huge fan of Sharon Cuneta. I watched all her movies, and sang her hit songs. We were roughly of the same age so I related to her, most of all the ups and downs of her love life. I was dissapointed that her fairy tale marriage did not work out and was happy later on that she eventually found happiness. As the years passed, so did my taste, and even though I still like her, I know that there would not be a huge gaping hole in my life if she were to retire from the entertainment industry. I hope these people realize the huge responsibility and influence they have, specially the ones in public service.

Aside from my parents, the people who have made their mark on me are mostly ordinary people, most of whom I have had the privilege of knowing. There were many teachers whom I looked up to for their prowess in teaching, for their dedication to their job, for going beyond the classroom, and for taking an interest in my life. These were mostly during my formative years at Saint Theresa's College. Then there are friends who have grown with me through the years and have influenced the way I look at things.

There have been a few colleagues, one in particular, who had shown me that it was important to balance my work life and my personal life. She was very good at what she did but got so burnt out that she stopped working altogether. Another one was the Publisher at the newspaper I worked for, who gave me opportunities to prove myself in a field that was entirely outside my scope of experience. He entrusted me with responsibilities and gave me room to grow. He was not the easiest of persons to work for, but I learned a lot from him.

While I struggle to emulate people I admire, the most influential are the ones whose mistakes I have learned from. They have given me free lessons about what to avoid in life, and the consequences of following in their footsteps. Which brings to mind that one time I was stuck watching "The Jerry Springer Show" while being worked on by my dentist. I would really be stupid to repeat their mistakes, and yes, that includes going on national television to air my dirty laundry.

While I would like to be able to say that the most influential person in my life is God, I would be lying at this stage in my life. I can only hope that when the time comes to meet him, like Cory, I will be ready.