why wait?

While on a bus headed north, Striker and I were forced to watch a noontime show which featured a tribute to the late rapper Francis Magalona. The hosts and the guests talked about how they knew Kiko, both as a person and a performer. The usual adjectives such as good, great, caring, talented, expressive and legendary, were uttered interchangeably, like nobody even bothered to look up something new in a thesaurus.

Don't get me wrong but when you are to do something as monumental as this you might want your statements to be different and unique. After all, it is a tribute. You would want your words and stories to have an impact to the public. Nobody will remember Magalona as a kind person if you just say that he was kind.

So kudos to those who rather focused on his lifelong advocacy of nationalistic pride. Personally though, I think it is a bit overrated but what do I know, right? If Rihanna has her own national holiday in Barbados, there's probably no reason why the Philippines can't proclaim Magalona as a national artist. He did promote patriotism through his music, his body tats and whatnots.

Anyway, the show had me thinking - why do people celebrate the life of someone only after his death? I mean, wouldn't it be better to commemorate the achievements of a person while he's still around so he can actually appreciate the effort?