← previous day

RIGID FRAILTY

Posted by Hub Pacheco (Pasay, Philippines) on 24 November 2006 in People & Portraits.

F. Sionil Jose, one of the great Philippine prose writers, listens intently to a talk by National Artist Bienvenido Lumbera last July at the Escaler Hall in Ateneo de Manila University.

I had a hard time back in high school when our class read his novel Mass for our English class. And as I sat about a couple of feet from him that day, I must say, he looked frail yet strong at the same time. He would lean on his cane then lean back on his seat and vice versa. Time really took its toll on him. But I guess when you've lived to be that age and did all than you can possibly do at that age, you can just kick back, relax, and take your merry time. I guess that's the kind of life worth living - you experienced and lived life to its full potential. And as you look back on your life when you get to be at the age when walking down a flight of stairs seem like walking down a hill, you can proudly say that you actually LIVED to be the person that you are fully capable of being.

***As always, for more information on F. Sionil Jose, go here. I should work for Wikipedia. Haha!
next day →

jose
sionil