"Think twice, 'cause you got such a long way to go"

Something (hrmmph how would I say this) dramatic (?) happened this week at camp. Someone finally spoke what is on his mind. He couldn't tolerate anymore nonsense from some of our mates therefore he felt the need to voice it out albeit the two weeks we have left (actually it's one). I respect him for this. He's caustic, what to do. In a way, he is speaking for the rest of us who felt the same. Salute to him! He is a smart guy, so I'm sure that he has been contemplating as to whether he should bring it up or not. However, for some of us they don't think before they speak. Consequently, they got themselves into unnecessary trouble. Come on man, "think twice, 'cause you got such a long way to go."

I got a letter of acceptance from NUS Civil Engineering and NTU Chemical and BioChemical Sciences. Although the choice is pretty obvious, I'm still rather shaky about it. If I opt for the former I'll go into the port trading/PSA/Keppel kinda thing. The pay is good and the job scope is more interesting than visiting and supervising sites lah I think. If I opt for he latter, I'll enjoy the course more. Simply because it is a course of my interest. And experience has taught me to choose the choice that I am interested in. It'll be a bonus if it's practical. Strangely, my ideal carreer is not related to either of these two fields! Therefore, I'll be wasting money and time training myself for something that I will not be widely exploiting. Still, many local actors do that since acting is a rather volatile job. You might be unemployed for a very long time. Hence, it'll be wiser to have a day job. Plus I get to minor in Linguistics at NTU. Haiz...don't know lah. Ruzaini you better "think twice, 'cause you got such a long way to go."

Sarah reminded me that this blog can be publicly viewed. Hahak. Thank you. So I shouldn't be saying things that may be subjected to a public uproar (?). (Pardon me; bad with expressions.) This time I am being more careful about the things I wish to say and how I say them. As Cassie puts it,"think twice, 'cause you got such a long way to go."

Ok Lindsay, I don't know if you know Cassie but I think that as your supporter, it is within my best interest to say that you should "think twice, 'cause you got such a long way to go." I'm just repeating what she sang, but using it in a different context. You are a talented young woman. So please,"think twice, 'cause you got such a long way to go."

Use a condom people. Remember "think twice, 'cause you got such a long way to go."

And you might be thinking: why am I obsess with this line? Well, "think twice, 'cause you got such a long way to go!" Not many of us are aware of what we say, I am guilty as charged myself. Truthfully, it is not very easy to be mindful of what we are saying. Talking has become second nature that we start to lose conscious of it, just like breathing. We say what is on our mind most of the time. In a conversation (that is why it's a "conversation", we are conversing- constantly talking and replying effortless), reading a forum or, even on our bus ride home. We talked a lot. I read somewhere that we spend 80% of our time talking to ourselves in a day. So it's hard to control it.

Nevertheless, basically we want freedom of expression and speech. If this is practised, then there wouldn't be a 16th Century. And the legend of Socrates would seep into the ground (or is it out from the ground? Bet you he is still talking right now and making himself heard. Don't worry dude, we all hear you. And what had happened to you. So you can shut up now! Sish, it's bad enough that you have infused your soul into some of us and make us talk and talk and talk and...now you want justice? Talk about die hard.)

This is what happened when we talk: something gets in, something gets out. Either way, some process of thinking is involved. Some messages get into the mind (registered) while others are lost (unregistered or didn't even reach); which cause miscommunication. When the system breaks down, it gets disorganised. The process of going "in and out" gets disrupted. And in the midst of rectifying the problem, silence sinks in. The pauses are significant. If there are no pauses, we know what happens. If there hadn't been a truce, the UN cannot intervene to help solve the Hutus and Tutsis conflict in Rwanda and Burundi.

In a conversation, we need an understanding. If this is not present then the conversation cannot go on and we wouldn't be talking. The understanding can be established when appropriate pauses are made so that the message gets registered. For this, I believe what we are doing is "think(ing) twice" so that we can come up with appropriate things to say to sustain the conversation " 'cause we got such a long way to go." We want to know more about the person and interested in what s/he has to say. Thus it is best to make those golden pauses and not ramble on and on, right Ruzaini? Unless you are in an intense conversation and you have a good rapport. Also, you need to breathe. So, do take a break.

Perhaps why we can talk more to a person and not the other is because we are tuned at different frequencies. Hrmmph...makes me wonder if the "like-poles-repel-opposites-attract" rule still hold. Nevermind, the matter here is that we need to think about what we say. If we accidentally spill something that's not meant to be, trouble follows. Use tact, or euphemisms. It helps. Also because we will be protecting ourselves. This is when the double-edge sword idea comes in handy. Instead of killing ourselves twice, we are saving ourselves instead. =)

We only have "one life, live it" (to borrow a slogan from M1). Teenagers like myself got "such a long way to go." Keep yourselves out of trouble my friends. Although making mistakes is inevitable, learning from them is not. Don't attest the accusation that you're an idiot. Yu got a mind, so use it! "Think twice, 'cause you got such a long way to go!"

Love y'all