22-04-07 Earthly Achievements - Temporary

"But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ." - Philippians 3:7

Just finished another small competition thingy this afternoon. Of course it's related to track & field. It was raining when I just got there...

For those of you who excel in studies, when the teacher announces your name last as she gives the papers back with increasing order of marks, and ppl still going 'WAH...!!!", "Crazy, man!"... Feels good, doesn't it? Everyone's attention is on you as you slowly walk up to the teacher, grinning ear-to-ear and to see that proud expression on the teacher's face...

For those of you gamers, while LANning with friends in a CC and you just finished pawning that useless Bone Fletcher and Dwarven Sniper and the computer shouts "Double KILL!!!", "OWNING!!!"... Sweet, yeah? Hearing your friends saying, "pro, man...!"...

And for those of you involved in sports. Smashing the shuttlecock right on the line; spiking the ball right in between 2 opponents, causing confusion or; releasing the ball as the buzzer sounds to hear the "SWOOSH!", all for the match point... On top of the world, aren't you?... The crowd starts chanting your name, you get called up on stage the following morning during assembly... Awesome...

I used to long to bask in that sort of glory in Sec 1, seeing Dato Dr. Fong show his pride in Tad Song... I think I still long for that type of glory. Anyway... Today, while sitting, waiting for my turn, I overheard 2 senior guys, one of them most probably an ex-sportsman, talking abt his days of glory, competing overseas. Then, it dawned on me...

If i actually happen to win this event, or better still, break the record(both of which I didn't even get close 2, of cos... Don't ask...), so what? The school will announce my magnificent feat, I'll get a few hundred dollars cash, my name'll be etched on the piece of paper they print out every year. Heck, even my 'colleague' trackers will suddenly look up to me, right? Then, in a year or two, another prodigy comes along and breaks my record. Then, what becomes of me? Only I will be dwelling in my past, not letting go of what I've achieved BEFORE. Even the thing abt my fellow trackers admiring me would only last for that short period too!

Roger Federer struck off the old record for that 160-week No-1 in the world thing, breaking that... 'what's-his-name's record. See? I don't even KNOW his name. This is even more obvious in track & field. Does anyone of you remember Michael Johnson? Used to be the 'Fastest Guy on Earth'. In less than a decade, a number of ppl of more than half the number of years have taken on that title, now, by right held by Asafa Powell, a Jamaican. High jump - Javier Sotomayor; Triple jump - Jonathan Edwards... I have no idea who their predecessors are at all!

Soon all these ppl's names will be erased from our memories as ppl get better and better. And in sth like sports(I'm sorry to say this, all you athletic ppl out there...), your career only lasts as long as your fitness. For most sports, when you get past your 30s, your time's up. So what's after that? Ppl start realizing THEN that all that they focused so much on previously didn't really mean that much. After their career is over THEN they start living their lives. It IS quite sad.

I'm not saying sports is useless. For those of us who need a good CV to get good colleges and universities, we need all the sports we can get. Not to mention the health benefits from it. I'm just saying that it's not necessary to make it our reason to continue living. Sports does not last as long as you do. And do NOT confuse sports with exercise...

SomehowI think the Performing Arts are more worth spending some time on. Strings, Guitar, Choir... At least these skills will last you quite a LOT longer in your life. That's unless... we get into an accident or sth, crippling us... TOUCHWOOD!!