As according to the ancient folklore deeply engraved on the rock-like surface of my brain matter since Intro to Marketing class, it goes like "the only Unchange is Change." Coming to the topic of Change, some people embrace it, some try to reject it, while others deny it and try to ignore it.
In different situations, we all fall into one of, or both of, or seldom all of, the 3 different Change characters; Embracers, Resisters and Aloofs. Embracers take ups what change that comes in their way, adapts fast to it and live life with change. It's not easy but they put it off still. Resisters, as the name suggest do not like change for the fear that change will weaken them or allow them to face unfamiliarity. Aloofs people tries very hard to not pay attention to the changes around them. What is complicated about the Aloofs is that they can be aloof in the Embracers way or the opposite; living the the changes but making minimal efforts to change themselves and Resisters direction is to pay minimal attention to the change and pretend that nothing has change. So all in all, there's 4 different kinds of Change characters.
After the lengthy portion about Change and Change characters, now is the main dish of this entry, also the main motivation for me to sit hours before my laptop in the middle of the night, so as to get some undisturbed blogging time.
Went to a bar at Clark Quay yesterday with PTP buddies. The time spent there did not live up to expectations. The bar was kinda small, something we didn't expect and we made reservations for ten people and those who bothered to show face numbered off to five in the bar. So the first drink came, followed by the finger food and concluded by a second drink. We waited for others to turn up with the concurrent activity of consuming the food and drinks took roughly 2 hours. The wait was boring but what made the evening a real irritant is that we had smokers who popped out to the 'fresh air' outside to take a puff, snoozing their nicotine alarm (you can almost hear the 'ni-coo-tine~','ni-coo-tine~' sound). This broke the small group into smaller groups that did not appreciate the small small group interaction. With agreement, those who was left to freeze to dead with boredom inside the bar settled the bill and headed out to the 'fresh air' area to settle the cash payment to me. Busy with calculations, I thought I would be able to skip or at least selectively block out the disgusting images of my PTP buddies smoking.
Those who have long ago declared themselves to be smokers, although still much disgusted, fared much better when I saw them smoked. What terrified me was Dennis smoking. Didn't knew about his past as a smoker and when he snubbed the cigarette butt that some other guy has passed to him, i unconsciously turned my head back and took a snapshot of the filthy poisonous gas gusting out of his nostrils. I can still see it in my mind. I am promised of this image whenever I see his face and the word 'Dennis'. Yes, personally I feel that I am very much aware of my over-reaction to people smoking but I can't help but to widen my scope to observe the other smokers around. The other bar just beside, the Irish pub just opposite the narrow two lane street, the group standing just outside 7-11 and many many others, suddenly the presence of smokers became so prominent to me that at the back of my brain, I ransacked sociological ideas, marketing explanations and bio psychological and psychological reasoning to reassure myself that what is happening is not a result of them wanting to harm their body but under many many other factors. But I failed. and the normal chants came out of my thought. Let's just hope the drug or drugs (considering how many types of different chemicals there is inside just one stick of cigarettes) carefully packed into the boxes will kill their consumers.
People I mix with are changing. Suddenly, last night i found myself in the company of loads of smokers. Mental note to self to not go drinking with smokers again. or maybe not go to bars and pubs. I shall be a Resister in this scenario, I want to stay true to myself.
Now think, if you were me,
in a situation similar to mine,
in a situation different from mine,
in a situation closely similar to mine,
in a situation vastly different from mine,
what character will you become?
Will you change (or not change) for the better?
--to be continued, this post is taking up most of my sleep time, shall continue tomorrow, part 2:Drum Changes--
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