Scanning through some documents, I chanced upon some newspaper clippings that I have not seen before. These featured the Tour of Luzon in the 1960s and mentioned my father’s name; obviously the reason why it was preserved well by him, in a wooden box (mahiwagang baul) together with some old pictures and all the medals, certificates and ribbons that we, sisters, received since grade one.
Although I’d hear about it and the other stories of his life –- his childhood in Antique 
during and after the Japanese invasion, his bachelor days and being a JKA black belter during his glory days with The Manila Times, his courtship with my mother, the hardships they went through during the Martial Law days, the things they did just so we all could go to school, etcetera, etcetera, interspersed with the latest gossips about people in our neighborhood –- whenever I’d sit near him in the garage trying to regulate my breathing so that I wouldn’t inhale too much second-hand cigarette smoke, seeing these browning pages for the first time amazed me. Knowing this old (prematurely old, I should say, because of his vices), sometimes feeble and grumpy, retired man for so many years makes it so easy to forget that there was once a time in his life when he was this young and strong.
Had I read the articles when he was still alive, I would have teased him no end, and countered his story-telling with allusions to these. As you would notice (see articles below), although he managed to get featured in the newspapers, the stories were not exactly flattering. I actually find them very funny. What strikes me most, though, is the story behind the story, the glimpse it offers at the person behind the person in the story. Indeed, it speaks well of the dogged determination, the patience, the driving ambition, the hard-headedness, the devil-may-care attitude, the “I’ll do it even if I can’t because I didn’t know that I can’t, anyway”, and even the clumsiness sometimes, that I recognize so well despite the unrecognizable young face in the picture.
When I went to the cemetery to make the interment arrangements, I felt embarrassed when I found out that the workers in that office, where he dutifully paid the monthly amortization fee before, knew about each of his daughters’ academic achievements. They enumerated them to me as if they shared in the glory, too. I was even admonished for sounding apologetic about my father’s bragging, as they would have done the same had they achieved that much, they said. He took great pride in the fact that despite all the hardships caused by Martial Law he and my mother were able to send us to UP and Ateneo, and people respected him for this feat. To paraphrase a significant quote in an article: he was not able to set a record of his own, but he was happy enough to have been able to take on life’s challenges with success.
“Little Jose (Boy) Ibañez, a flyweight in pounds but a heavyweight in heart”, as he was described in another article, with all his flaws and limitations raced and persevered against all odds in life, survived as many mishaps as were his attempts, and got lucky.
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How do we live a well-lived life? There are times when I or some people around me seem to forget the things that really matter, and tend to be trapped in superficiality . These articles reminded me that one need not break a record to be a winner, nor pretend to be rich to live a rich life. Winning is in the fighting, and life is in the living, if you get my drift.
Here, some quotes that I’d like to share to those who are seeking a more meaningfull life:
Rudyard Kipling, giving a commencement address at
McGill
University
in
Montreal
, said there was one striking thing that deserves to be remembered about people. Warning the students against an over-concern for money, power, or popularity, he said, "Some day you will meet a man who cares for none of these things. Then you will know how poor you are."
"To laugh often and much; to win the respect of
intelligent people and affection of children; to learn the
appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of
false friends; to appreciate beauty; to find the best in
others; to leave the world a little bit better, whether by
a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social
condition; to know even one life has breathed easier
because you have lived. This is to have succeeded." – Ralph Waldo Emerson
A Life Uncommon
(Jewel)
don’t worry mother, it’ll be alright
and don’t worry sister, say your prayers and sleep tight
it’ll be fine lover of mine
it’ll be just fine
lend your voices only to sounds of freedom
no longer lend your strength to that which you wish to be free from
fill your lives with love and bravery
and you shall lead a life uncommon
I’ve heard your anguish,
I’ve heard your hearts cry out
we are tired, we are weary, but we aren’t worn out
set down your chains, until only faith remains
set down your chains
and lend your voices only to sounds of freedom
no longer lend your strength to that which you wish to be free from
fill your lives with love and bravery
and we shall lead a life uncommon
there are plenty of people who pray for peace
but if praying were enough it would have come to be
let your words enslave no one and the heavens will hush themselves
to hear our voices ring out clear
with sounds of freedom
sounds of freedom
come on you unbelievers, move out of the way
there is a new army coming and we are armed with faith
to live, we must give
to live
and lend our voices only to sounds of freedom
no longer lend our strength to that which we wish to be free from
fill your lives with love and bravery
and we shall lead…
lend our voices only to sounds of freedom
no longer lend our strength to that which we wish to be free from
fill your lives with love and bravery
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