Seeing life’s challenges in a positive light

PADILLA. Has opted to face and fight her affliction. file photo

MANILA, Philippines – Stars are supposed to lead charmed lives, much more blessed and beatific than yours and mine. Graced with pluperfect looks, fat bank accounts and great fame, they seem impervious to the tacky, treacly woes that affect ordinary folks’ existence—which is why so many people dream of becoming exactly like them.

This season, those unexpectedly dire events are paced by the shocking death by suicide of Tony Scott, one of the most acclaimed action film directors of the global movie industry. Along with his equally celebrated brother, Ridley, he made one hit after another—until, at age 68, he decided to end it all by jumping over a bridge, because he had been told with finality that he had a malignant brain tumor, and that it was inoperable.

Now, extremely bad news of that medical sort has been received by many people, but most of them didn’t react so tragically, and peremptorily. Why did the esteemed director choose to take things into his own hands and act in so drastic a fashion? Did he want to spare himself and his loved ones the physical and psychological pain, the long ordeal before he took his last breath, and the desperately hopeful prayers for a miraculous cure that would never come?

We will never know for certain, but we’re sad that Scott has opted to end his life with such bleak pragmatism and despair. We trust that nobody will choose to follow the dark example of the otherwise exemplary filmmaker, who had gotten so used to directing—that he even opted to “direct” his own death!

Examples

In local show business, the examples shown in this regard are less bleak: Much too soon after the death of Dolphy, his life partner, Zsa Zsa Padilla, has also discovered that she has cancer—but, instead of falling over the deep end of despair, she has opted to face and fight her affliction.

Since it’s been caught relatively early, hopes are high that she’ll recover, like another cancer victim, Monique Wilson.

Another singing star in extremis, Susan Fuentes, may be less proactive in seeking treatment for her own serious affliction, but her many friends and colleagues in the biz, led by Dulce, are mounting a benefit show to raise funds for her own medical battle, so her story is also inspirational in its own way.

Perhaps Tony Scott and his circle of friends of colleagues could learn a lesson from us? There’s always hope, and when most other options fail or are rendered medically moot and academic, our wider and deeper circle of friends and loved ones here can light many  candles in the dark for us!

(If you want to add to the glow surrounding Susan Fuentes, watch her benefit show, or call 376-7278 or 0919 814-0986.)