I Nearly "Disappeared" in a Small Southeast Asian Nation

In the 1980's at a large formal event I openly defied and shamed a world renowned and infamous world leader.

As a Peace Corps volunteer in the Philippines, I briefly met Ferdinand Marcos, the "President" (can you say "Dictator"?) of the Philippines, when he was still in power. I intentionally and blatantly refused to shake his hand in public and lived to tell about it. At least that's how I see it.

Well, actually I attended a large conference of Philippine bankers where he was scheduled to give a talk. I had an aisle seat. He walked down the aisle right next to me on his way to the podium. He offered to shake hands as he walked down the aisle.

As a Peace Corps volunteer we were taught to act apolitical otherwise those who oppose your politics (real or perceived) will work against you in any project you are working on. So when the morally corrupt dictator walked by me offering to shake any one and everyone's hands, I played dumb and refused to offer him my hand. A horde of Philippine bankers standing around me quickly seized the opportunity to shake the dictator's hand.

My open act of defiance, my blatant refusal to shake hands with the dictator put me at risk of suddenly becoming a member of the "disappeared". Was I going to be ushered out of the conference by his "staff" right then and there or would they wait until later that night? Only time would tell.

In a way it felt good to be a rebel. It gave my young life meaning.

The only problem was: No one noticed what I did or rather what I didn't do.

They say "perception is reality". I guess in this case "non-perception is also reality". No one saw what I did not do.

Therefore, no one was asked to "disappear" me and I got to live and rebel another day.

- Jim Oliver