Months ago, I was watching a movie and slept through the first scenes. When I woke up, the cinema’s lights were on. I asked the other audience members what happened, and they said the screen had gone black and/or had no audio for a while, and someone had already told the cinema staff about it. So the movie was rewound to where it had stopped, and I realized that was exactly the part I’d missed because I’d fallen asleep.
So there is a God, and He obviously doesn’t want me to miss the movies I want to watch. Except for “In the Grey,” which had a 1:15 p.m. screening on its first week when my schedule was too busy to squeeze it in. But by the second week, its only screenings were in the evening—too late for me, since I’ve been trying so hard to sleep early and be fresh for the gym the morning after.
As I’ve said in previous columns, I watch movies so I have something to write about. I myself don’t want to discuss politics, politicians, graft and corruption, flood control projects, ghost projects, the “maletas.” There’s the Senate shooting—no, it wasn’t a photo shoot, or perhaps it was a photo shoot. Hmm. And there’s the missing rock, er, Bato.
I’d rather write about rolling rocks, er, the Rolling Stones. But since I’m not a Stones fan, I’m back to Bato? Oops.
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The 1986 People Power may have its “nth” revival if the Pinoy ever becomes desperate enough with the country’s current political situation, and people will march on the streets again and call it the 2026 People Power. If “SpongeBob SquarePants” has its “Three minutes later…,” People Power may have its ‘40 years later.’
Meaning, those who participated in the first peaceful revolution are now 40 years older. If they were, say, 16 then, they’re now 56. If 26 then, 66 now. And so on. In other words, they’re old and may think twice about joining another revolution. They may now have body aches and pains, hypertension, diabetes, arthritis, other senior-moment illnesses and afflictions. Their best bet now is to let their children and grandchildren join the 2026 People Power, that is, if these second and third generations will be inspired enough to do so.
Meanwhile, the young-once will sit on their rocking chairs and eat popcorn while watching this latest People Power. They’ve done their part already—marching on the streets, doing “kapit-bisig,” and shouting, “Tama na, sobra na, palitan na.” It’s time for the young ones to take over.
The young-once do tend to talk about the 1986 People Power as if it happened only yesterday. And if given the chance to discuss it again and again, they can repeat their monologues ad infinitum until their listeners’ eyes glaze over. I actually see this at both gyms I’m currently enrolled in—old clients talking about boring once-upon-a-time topics their young coaches couldn’t relate to, until the coaches’ eyes glaze over because they have to stifle yawns and stop themselves from nodding off. And I’m that old client. Haha!
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But how to bridge the gap between the young-once and the young ones? Oh. Pickleball, anyone? My senior friend, who used to play badminton, has already bought a pickleball paddle and has been inviting us to play already. My reaction: been there, done that. Two years ago, actually, when my nephew and niece-in-law introduced the game to me. I was like, Pickleball? What’s that?
