Saturday, June 30, 2012

Man in the Mirror

SO after the whole excitement about maybe entering the Perdana Essay Competition, I kinna just *urgh* when I finally get the chance to read the T & C and the format. They want graphs and stuff in the essay for one titled "It has been said the era of Government-Knows-Best is over. What do you think are the implications of this?"

Forget it. I'll post here instead. Have a read!

"Man in the Mirror

As much as we would like macro changes to many different things in many different fields, the harsh reality is that many a times we fail to realize that it is the micro changes that we make, would be the defining factor at the macro level.

Aptly put by Howard Zinn (Remembering Howard Zinn, Noam Chomsky), we have often forgotten that the countless small deeds of many “small” and “unknown” people had been the main driving force behind the many “big” deed that ultimately ended up in historical books.

The best example of such saying was also portrayed in a Chinese movie, none other than the famous “Bodyguards and Assassins”, where it showed how the many “small” and "unknown” people sacrificed time and lives even, for the greater good of their motherland and the protection of their leader, Sun Yet Sen whose assassination would have ended the revolution struggle.

Ultimately however, it is Sun’s name that ended up in historical books and not these unknown people mentioned.

So what am I trying to say?

What I am trying to say is, as insignificant as words spoken and actions done without second and wise thoughts, should we all fail to realize that our nation’s or rather, our home’s progress is heavily dependent on the man in the mirror.

Or crudely put, if we maintain the level of apathy and ignorance, or rather if we are so bullish and naive in believing change would happen without us changing ourselves, from the inside out, what are the odds of improvements, changes, and chances of our home surviving in a world so loaded with competition and a constant need to move forward at bullet speed?

We have often pride ourselves in our mutual understanding, in our tolerance with each other, in a nation claimed to be so diversed in race, religion and culture. But tolerance just goes as far as it can get before it reaches a boiling or melting point for that matter.

Our pride extends to our acclaimed move for “Merdeka”, the bloodless way; in how we achieved independence without the need to shed blood, and our unique constitutional rule, which ensures freedom for all.

Perhaps, after tasting freedom, peace and some sort of stability for so long, we have chosen to live our lives, in chasing our dreams in a manner that we have developed our famed “tidak apa” attitude. We have forgotten how to be the responsible citizens that our country so needs right now.

Let us not choose to forget dark days and only look at the sunshine. For all that matter, dark days are the days that we learn most from. Let us all be frank with ourselves, that the latest developments and fracas in our home lately, have opened our eyes again towards a dire need.

That need is to move forward.

And we can do that by first looking and then changing that man or woman in the mirror."

Probably worth a try entering the competition but don't know how to steer it onto that title's direction. Ah well.


Thursday, June 7, 2012

The songs that you sing

If it needs a confirmation,
Or a reassurance,
Of what you feel,
What you see,
What hurts you the most,
The things that make you joyful,
The things that make you love,
People who made you cry,
People who made you angry,
Or just a recollection of
Good and bad memories,
It's gotta be the songs that you sing.

Monday, June 4, 2012

What's for tomorrow? (A Prologue)

And so I climbed up using the tiny little steps to the roof top. I have no idea whether it shrunk to the size of small wooden planks fit for ants or it's me who has just overgrown these steps. I would want to believe in the former but this is very much the case of the latter.

It's been a long time since I've climbed these steps up. And it's been a while since I looked at the sun set in this very town. If there's anywhere which fits the description of tranquility and beauty, it would definitely be here. Well, yes, I'm biased about this but every man has his own meat and one man's meat is another's poison.

She was tagging along behind, skipping from step to step. I had to stop and warn her about it.

"I used to do that and I fell down," I said with a very serious face as she looked at me, clueless. She grinned a little and took another skip. I relented and let her skip past me. At least, when she does fall down, I could catch her from behind.

"Daddy, daddy, daddy!" she jumped up and down while pointing westwards. I just about set foot on the top. She decided to skip the skipping part and sped all the way up. I wish I could do the same but this was a task for the healthier me. I miss him.

The old swing was still there. She ran towards it and managed to escape my bear hug. I made a small growl. But, I lost touch with time for a while.

As she swung herself slowly; to and fro, forward and backward, she looked beyond the old buildings and to the edge of the Earth where Mr Sun was slowly making way for Ms Moon to fill the sky.

She turned and waved at me, showing her teeth with an upward curve of the lips. That's my little Feli.

I went towards her, picking her up from the swing and sat her on my lap. I swung slowly. She lifted her head and saw the world in her eyes; so innocent, so young, so full of joy. She made my life whole.

"This is a photo moment," a voice said.

I turned and there she was. If little Feli made my life whole, this is the woman who made my life complete. I smiled and nodded at her.

"Turn around, now. And big smiles!" she said as she prepared to press the shutter button. "Feli, look here!" she said and waved at the little girl who was busy playing with the buttons of her dress. She took notice and looked at the camera with a big smile.

*CLICK* went the Polaroid camera. We waited as the camera processed the photo. Instant, they say.

As we waited, she asked, "What's for tomorrow?".

I gazed at her. Both of us knew fully well that tomorrow might not come. But this must not be a reason to celebrate the greatest gift of all.

"Hmm... Life." I answered. We both smiled as little Feli race towards the edge to see Mr Sun finally settling, resting and giving way for Ms Moon to dimly light the dark sky.