By Reni M. Valenzuela
The issue of Floyd Mayweather Jr. ducking Manny Pacquiao won’t go away even a hundred years from now unless they slug it out in the ring while they have strength.
Unprecedented in boxing history, the Maywether vs. Pacquiao could be a world event wherein there will be no loser whatever the outcome of the fight might be. And it’s fantastic that the fans could end up as the biggest winner.
Floyd may be happy to visit a humble and “poor” country but great and rich in many ways when he tangles with his lingering, hovering arch nemesis in the latter’s native land. I can assure him it will be a visit that he will treasure for reasons beyond the grandiose of Vienna, the marvels of Rome and the beauty of Paris.
“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder” because true beauty is hidden at first and second glance. It is deep-seated in the soul that only a fellow soul can appreciate it, a hand writing of God. The heart and smile of our people are priceless except the mess of crooked elements in the “echelons” of society. But still, ours is an amazing abode to discover where life’s profundity of experience and joys abound amidst crisis.
There is comeliness within.
Mayweather will be encouraged to find out that there can be life outside materialism if he fights Pacquiao inside the Pearl of the Orient. We have fallen as a nation a number of times due to corruption and leadership failures, but we are aware that a loss, as in boxing, can only be devastating when we lose heart. As a people, we hold on to the one universal rule that no fall is final for any person or country if he/she keeps getting up with invigorated faith every time.
The Philippines is now the launching pad of the Gospel to the world in these last days, not “the gates of hell” of Dan Brown’s “Inferno” who, by the way, may be a an “author” so well on his way to a literal “place” he dearly loves and writes about, if soul he has.
True beauty is something that no cosmetic surgery can touch and no mask can feign nor conceal. A nation need not have majestic mountainous rocks and fabulous body of waters to be great just as a woman doesn’t need to be pretty and gorgeous by the world’s standards to be beautiful, because truth’s breadth of view on beauty is beyond the physical attributes.
This is probably why Miss Philippines is often included in the top five finalists in the yearly international beauty contests. It was a time of celebration for us when Janine Tugonon was crowned Miss Universe first runner-up last year while Venus Raj was adjudged 2010 fourth runner up in the same pageant. The judges and people of different nations might be seeing something uniquely beautiful in our women, some rare outward and inward charm to adore and respect, not to exploit and abuse.
Back in 2011, Filipinos worldwide were elated that the country emerged as the third runner-up winner in the Miss Universe beauty pageant held in Sao Paolo, Brazil. We were especially abuzz then about the person and intelligence of our contender.
Filipina Shamcey Supsup may not have won to be crowned Miss Universe that night, yet no doubt she is the crowning glory in the entire pageantry; the towering princess among all the contestants when she more than answered the question in the Q&A portion of the competition by exhibiting unusual class and revealing her elegant self with the very words that she uttered. And it was natural and spontaneous:
“If I would have to change my (Christian) religious beliefs, I would not marry the person that I love because the first person that I love is God, who created me. I have my faith and my principles, and this is what makes me who I am. If the person loves me, he’ll love my God too.”
Ms. Shamcey very well represented the country. She is like a diamond of great worth that is not only beautiful in the sense that she is one not only on the outside. A young but accomplished woman of beauty, brain, heart, grace, charm, values and faith. That is who Shamcey is. She is the wish for a soul mate of every dreamer on the planet. She deserves nothing but the best will of God and may she not err in finding her man lest every kingdom’s prince forever grieves.
But as opposed and hostile to Browns’s racial blasphemy, our country is the world’s gateway to splendor and eternal light.
To all concerned: Make the Pacquiao vs. Mayweather happen in the Philippines next year and the whole creation will be served good. Mabuhay!
renimvalenzuela@yahoo.com
