Last Summer
Easy entry, this one is. Last summer, while you were all over the world visiting historic sites and gawking at national treasures, I ran for the senate. 90 intense days. I didn’t campaign for one day more, one day less than the prescribed period. I never bought a single vote and I never appeared in a paid television or radio commercial. I spent a little more than a million pesos of my own funds even if the biggest financial consideration came in the form of the lost income in the 100 days of that unforgettable experience.
Can’t say I didn’t have a good time. Went around the country, met many people. Knew it was a hopeless battle but kept on, knowing it was but a beginning.
Looking back, while working in my clinic in Oklahoma once again, there are no regrets. Did the best I could. Somebody needed to put up a fight. Worst mistake in my youth was to give Marcos, Ponce Enrile, Ver and company a free pass. Everyone was simply so afraid to resist.
Can’t say I’d do it all again. I watch my kids having a wonderful time, reconnecting with old friends. My patients are happy and I am no longer working as hard as I used to. We’ll see.
I’ll have a less exciting summer this year, that’s for sure.
10 comments:
That's why I admire you so much Sir Martin. Leaving ALL that behind to join the 'circus' here. I am just glad you sound so 'settled' now.
Btw, please join the TBR 6th ed: Philippine Healthcare System. Details here. We would really, really, love to hear your views.
probably the "best" summer of your life... because you showed the whole nation and probably the whole world that there are still good-hearted filipinos living in this planet, filipinos like you who are willing to sacrifice all for the love of the country and kababayans!
may your tribe increase a thousand fold!
mabuhay ka dr. martin! ;)
Dr. Martin, thank you very much for sharing that summer experience with us. I watched your video just now and had I been able to watch that a year ago, I would surely have voted for you. But hindi ko pa po kayo nakilala noon. I admire your work and your ideology and most of all your love for our country.
Ness, kaya pala ako natalo! Thanks for hosting the blog rounds.
.......a little correction and apology is in order Dr. Martin about " everyone was simply so afraid to resist ".....there were some who fell into the night resisting...
Dr. Bautista, the compassion you show had toughed many people including me. It is a vertue that few possess and signifies good moral character. Cheers to you my friend.
i think that if more people were willing to tilt at windmills, our country would be a better place.
i'd like to believe that people have their hearts at the right place, just that they don't think there's much they can do as one person. i, for one, am guilty of the same.
i heard a very touching sharing by a cenacle sister last night about the Easter promise, and i was struck by one of the things she said.
Easter is about hope. But every day, she prays that God gives her the grace to broaden her hope into responsibility.
As Filipinos, it is inherent in us to hope, hope for a better country, for a better future. But to realize this hope, we must learn to be responsible for making it happen.
thank you for being an example of taking a step in the right direction.
by the way, my entire family voted for all the members of your party last summer. :) i didn't even want to vote at the time, because it seemed like such a futile process, but sporting that indelible ink mark afterwards actually felt good. may have been one vote that could have or could not have been stolen or erased or changed after - but it was MY vote, and that's what counted to me.
Hi, Doc Martin! I actually voted for you :). I believed that we need a change, and a non career politician, and a doctor at that, may help a lot.
It's official. I left a long mala-blog post comment last week and it seems to have been swallowed by a virtual black hole.
Anyway, just wanted to say (again) that no one can top what you did last summer Martin. Everyone's blogged about their summer getaways (including me) but you did something totally earth-changing. It was definitely an admirable feat. It makes me proud to know you as a person.
I campaigned for you in my own little world, even when everyone said it was such a Quixotic battle. I operate on the belief that we can change things a little a time. We can't lose hope, not now, not ever.
Thanks for being one of those bold enough to bear that torch, no matter how small the flame seems. For now.
Post a Comment