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Tuesday, January 20, 2004
Flavier: Big politician
By Juan Flavier
COMMENTARY
THE bulky man was a typical, loud-mouthed politician with an excessive delusion of self-importance. He loved to hear his booming voice even if it was soporific and droning to the listeners. So he spent a lot of time moving around the city to vary his tortured audience.
Occasionally, he would also drop in on a barrio or two. He enjoyed the travel and the opportunity to harangue his constituents and the lowly farmers on how great a politician he was.
One day, a businessman gave him a piece of expensive cloth as suiting material. The politician immediately went to the provincial capitol and called on his favorite tailor.
”Could you make me a matching suit with this material?” inquired the big politician.
The tailor spread the cloth and estimated the length using his outreach arms as measuring device.
”I am sorry,” the tailor concluded. “There is only enough material for your pants. We cannot make a matching coat.”
The politician was disappointed but he decided to try the tailor in the next town.
But the town tailor also found the material inadequate for a complete suit. The big politician left and went to the tailor in the barrio.
The barrio tailor was a quiet, non-assuming, part-time farmer. He listened as the politician gave his usual unsolicited speech. Suddenly, the politician stopped and asked the barrio tailor directly, “Do you know who I am?”
”No, sir,” replied the tailor simply.
”I don’t believe this,” exclaimed the politician. “My name is plastered all over the place.
”Your name is all over the place, you say?” the tailor asked. “Is your name Coca-Cola?”
The politician decided to take the comment as a joke and proceeded to ask about sewing a suit for him. “Can you make me a suit from this material?”
The tailor glanced over the cloth and said without feeling, “Yes. With this, I can make you a pair of pants, a coat and even a vest.”
”Wow, that is great! In the capitol and in town, I was told this cloth is only good for my pants. How come?”
”You see, here in the barrio, you are not that big.”
(Sen. Flavier writes for Sun.Star Baguio)
(January 20, 2004 issue)
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