A tribute to a Legend

"Well folks, everything that you've been hearing for the past months are true. I'm retiring. That's it. Thank you! Good day." And with that he left all of us bewildered and dumbfounded.

I wish it were as easy as I imagined. But the whole world knows there's more to it than just a mere retirement from a long-standing employee of some Italian company. I, together with the millions of people tuned in to the TV sets last night to follow the high drama surrounding the Formula 1 Italian Grand Prix at Monza, witnessed how the "author of a unique chapter in Formula 1 history" puts the final dot on his stories. I witnessed how a maestro plays the final note. I witnessed how the greatest Formula 1 driver finally hangs his helmet. But most especially, I witnessed how a great man waves good bye, turns his back, and walks away… away from the world he loved and owned, away from the people he considered family, away from the adoring fans who supported him through ups and downs, and away from that scarlet red car that had been one with him in every corner and straights of every circuit, in every race.

In the midst of a joyous victory, and an impeding farewell, he sat there calm and collected. He looked straight into everyone's eyes, sincere and unpretentious. He answered questions with the familiarity of a friend, but with the professionalism he had long since upheld. The only hint of weakness he gave away was the slight quiver and intense sadness so evident in his voice.

I am not his fan. I've never been. These are not adoration for some idol I had admired for so long. This is not my way of saying thank you and farewell for some man I emulate. As bizarre as it may sound, this is a tribute from a non-fan, a mere observer… just some damn writer sharing some thoughts about Michael Schumacher.

I respect him for his courage, and undoubting spirit. It's true that actions speak louder than words. Where words fail, there he is to show the world. Where words abound, expect him to keep silent. Not a word, not even a single breath, did he let out against his team, even when it seemed anger and frustration are justifiable for the moment.

I respect him for his passion that never seemed to waver. I respect him for the same intensity I get to see race after race after race, and year after year, whether glorious or daunting. With his passion, I recognized unselfishness. Every one could attest witness to how Ferrari bowed down last season after years of domination. We saw an unfamiliar red car, so un-Ferrari-like in nature. But behind that unfamiliar red car, is the familiar Schumi: head down, all ready and firing. When everything fails, he didn't give up, for a lot of people depended on him. Their hopes were no longer in the car. Their hopes were on ol' Schumi.

And even now, faced with may be the biggest decision of his life, his unselfishness played a major point on the turn of events. He could have accepted the offer of another racing year: it was just too sweet to let go of. He could have allowed the team to relegate Felipe Massa as a test driver, and have Kimi Raikkonen as his teammate for 2007, and everyone would be happy. But he knew and loved Massa. He knows what his teammate is capable of, and how much potential still remains untapped, and anything below a racecar driver is just unthinkable for him. He had 13 years to savor the excitement and fulfillment of racing; Massa had only the years ahead of him, and the decision of the team to rely unto. So he made up his mind, and numbed the whole world with that.

My only regret is that, I won't have any opportunity to watch him live; that I won't have the opportunity and privilege to see how a master craftsman work his magic to everything he touches. No, I won't have that opportunity ever. It is a fact that shall forever linger in my mind. It is a missed opportunity that I shall forever rue.

I wish I could have been part of even a single race, even a small part of his life. I wish I could walk up to him after a race and say, "Hey thanks for a heart-stopping race!" I wish I could have thanked him for the countless times he had made my Sunday nights memorable. But alas, I am a year too late.

And so with this, I pay my small tribute, my way of saying thank you, to the man that made my life as a sports enthusiast as exciting and as fulfilling as it had been for him.

Kudos Michael. Mabuhay ka!