Doctor J, Birthday

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Rizal Monument

June 19th today, birthday of our long-time can-do-it-all idol, the doctor, Jose Rizal.

In this day and age, like Rizal, we can say that we can do other stuff as well and multi-task. Like be a doctor and a journalist. Or be an engineer and be into arts. Or a historian and photographer. Be a farmer and an educator.

But here lies the difference between Doc J and ordinary mortals like us, doctor Rizal was uber-special, he did not engage in two to three professions or skills. He did tons of stuff, he was all things packed into one magnificent Filipino.

He was an ophthalmologist, sculptor, painter, educator, farmer, historian, playwright and journalist. Besides poetry and creative writing, he dabbled, with varying degrees of expertise, in architecture, cartography, economics, ethnology, anthropology, sociology, dramatics, martial arts, freemason, fencing and pistol shooting.

And not only he had the skill and knowledge of things but he was prolific in most of what he did. Amazing renaissance man.

Just a tribute post for our national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal.

(Photos shot in July 2009… with notes… earlier this am, we jogged at Rizal Park – Quirino Grandstand area. Had the chance to see mah-main-man, the doctor J… Jose Rizal, the Rizal Monument. It’s like 2 decades ago when I saw the Rizal Monument this close and never been back. Until today.)