The Moment

I was watching the Asian Cup game between Japan and Bahrain just the other day, and it was one heck of an exciting game, to say the least. The lead was constantly changing, and it took two extra times for Japan to pull of an epic victory. What really got me thinking was not so much the indomitable spirit of the Japanese but one moment where one Bahrain player was put in a position to equalize in front of an open goal and bring the game into penalties. Unfortunately, horror of horrors, he made what must most certainly was the miss of the tournament. From what could have made him the hero instead turned him to the villain of his countrymen, despite a decent tournament. He had failed to seize his moment of glory.

In life, many opportunities are presented to us for us to become the hero. Whether is it in war, in sports or in ordinary daily life, there comes a moment where by seizing it you become the hero. It can be as simple as the hero of your school team, or a hero that would live in the annals of history. However, life isn't fair. There are those with the ability to become heroes but never had the opportunity to do so, and there are those who had the opportunity to fail to seize it, just like the Bahrain player.

I have had my moment before, during my days as a softball player. In the first game of the season, I had a single and a triple and drove in five runs against Jurong Junior College. That the pitcher wasn't exactly overpowering didn't matter, and neither was the fact that was the only game that we would win during the rest of the season. What matter to me then was that for that moment I was the hero, the cheer of the team. I was never able to repeat the success I had that day.

Therefore I must ask all of you to seize the opportunity for you to distinguish yourself, that moment of time where everything falls into place for you to be successful. Life isn't always so charitable to give all of us the second chance.

Quote of the day

"The golden moments in the stream of life rush past us and we see nothing but sand; the angels come to visit us, and we only know them when they are gone."

-George Eliott (1819 - 1880)