Wake up calls
People are funny...
We never seem to treasure things (or other people, for that matter) which we think/assume will be there for us all the time. Basically, it comes down to a "taking it for granted" attitutude. Recent events again highlights this simple observation.
Some happened in the general public space while others in my personal life.
1) The closing down of the Crazy Horse show
This supposedly world-class act ( I havent seen it, and have no intentions of doing so. I'll admit, I'm cluelsss when it comes to appreciating dancing and cabaret shows) has been brought into Singapore 13 months ago, to much fanfare and public attention.
Yet, after the initial euphoria, the attendance for its shows dropped to an alarming <40% turn-up rate over the next 12 months. Finally, the sponsors and organisers had to admit it was a 'strategic' mistake, and decided to end the show's run in town.
The comments from the public started pouring in - again. Some were full of the "I knew it" crap. But what was interesting was the number of people who, when interviewed, said that they actually intended to catch the show.
Why didn't they?
Because they thought it was always gonna be there, whenever they wanted to see it. (Incidentally, a work colleague of mine told me the same thing - that she had intended to watch it with her family on many past occasions, but simply "didnt do it" because she'd assumed that the show was here to stay)
Ironically, tickets for the show have been snapped up rapidly, for these folks, that I'll bet the next couple days, the show will boast of full houses again. A little too late to save the horses though. :P
2) Watched the Singapore vs Malaysia match live last night. On television, that is.
Admittedly, I too was one of those seriously tempted to pull on a red T-shirt and brave the crowds and traffic-jams around Kallang area, to stand amongst the thousands of supporters for the Singapore Lion team, as they took on their arch-rivals Malaysia. (In the end, my own laziness and my wife's lack of interest dissuaded me. Of course, the LIVE telecast also made the decision slightly easier)
The papers reported a crowd of 55,000, at the National Stadium. That was impressive. But then I wondered... would it still have been 55,000, or much less, had the match NOT been the LAST match that Singapore will play Malaysia in a competitive football match?
3) Tomorrow I'll be called in for ICT. (if you don't know what ICT stands for, you probably arent Singaporean. It's "In-Camp-Torture"... ops.. i mean "In-Camp-Training". Meant for old men like me, to refresh my skills once a year in the army camp, on how to use weapons and how to kill my enemies.)
It is also the time of the year, I'd realise what a bad shape I am in, in terms of physical health and overall fitness. In the last 2 weeks, I've tried to go for light exercises and runs, in a feeble (and futile) attempt to "gear" myself up for the 2 weeks of training. Muscle cramps and body aches followed, signs which proves the rot in my body, after months and months of no-exercise lifestyle.
Body health and fitness has been taken for granted.
"There's always a "tomorrow" to workout, so not today". "I'm still young... so there's still time". "I'll start eating right... maybe tomorrow.."
4) GENUS - club in crisis? Read on ...
We never seem to treasure things (or other people, for that matter) which we think/assume will be there for us all the time. Basically, it comes down to a "taking it for granted" attitutude. Recent events again highlights this simple observation.
Some happened in the general public space while others in my personal life.
1) The closing down of the Crazy Horse show
This supposedly world-class act ( I havent seen it, and have no intentions of doing so. I'll admit, I'm cluelsss when it comes to appreciating dancing and cabaret shows) has been brought into Singapore 13 months ago, to much fanfare and public attention.
Yet, after the initial euphoria, the attendance for its shows dropped to an alarming <40% turn-up rate over the next 12 months. Finally, the sponsors and organisers had to admit it was a 'strategic' mistake, and decided to end the show's run in town.
The comments from the public started pouring in - again. Some were full of the "I knew it" crap. But what was interesting was the number of people who, when interviewed, said that they actually intended to catch the show.
Why didn't they?
Because they thought it was always gonna be there, whenever they wanted to see it. (Incidentally, a work colleague of mine told me the same thing - that she had intended to watch it with her family on many past occasions, but simply "didnt do it" because she'd assumed that the show was here to stay)
Ironically, tickets for the show have been snapped up rapidly, for these folks, that I'll bet the next couple days, the show will boast of full houses again. A little too late to save the horses though. :P
2) Watched the Singapore vs Malaysia match live last night. On television, that is.
Admittedly, I too was one of those seriously tempted to pull on a red T-shirt and brave the crowds and traffic-jams around Kallang area, to stand amongst the thousands of supporters for the Singapore Lion team, as they took on their arch-rivals Malaysia. (In the end, my own laziness and my wife's lack of interest dissuaded me. Of course, the LIVE telecast also made the decision slightly easier)
The papers reported a crowd of 55,000, at the National Stadium. That was impressive. But then I wondered... would it still have been 55,000, or much less, had the match NOT been the LAST match that Singapore will play Malaysia in a competitive football match?
3) Tomorrow I'll be called in for ICT. (if you don't know what ICT stands for, you probably arent Singaporean. It's "In-Camp-Torture"... ops.. i mean "In-Camp-Training". Meant for old men like me, to refresh my skills once a year in the army camp, on how to use weapons and how to kill my enemies.)
It is also the time of the year, I'd realise what a bad shape I am in, in terms of physical health and overall fitness. In the last 2 weeks, I've tried to go for light exercises and runs, in a feeble (and futile) attempt to "gear" myself up for the 2 weeks of training. Muscle cramps and body aches followed, signs which proves the rot in my body, after months and months of no-exercise lifestyle.
Body health and fitness has been taken for granted.
"There's always a "tomorrow" to workout, so not today". "I'm still young... so there's still time". "I'll start eating right... maybe tomorrow.."
4) GENUS - club in crisis? Read on ...
posted by 北海道的大黑熊 at 10:26 AM
1 Comments:
Haha. Someone in a reflective mood this morning?
To answer your last point - no, I don't think there's a crisis. Read replies to individual posts. ;)
When I consider whether to do something or not, it depends on whether it would really make my life richer. Don't think there are many things that I have put off till the last moment that I will regret. Learnt that lesson years ago with the passing of someone close. Still, it's good to have a reminder, once in awhile, so I thank you for that.
If you'd like weekly work-out buddies, I'm sorely in need of some regular exercise too. :p
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