Monday, December 19, 2005
peeve #46823
Narrow-mindedness in Singaporeans
If you've read the newspapers over the weekend or went past tampines, you'd have heard about Khoo Swee Chow's latest adventure - A 10 day immersion in a tank. You might have read about the hooha over the number of times he has used the Dare to Dream fund. The most ironic thing about this is that, the people who complained that he has used the funds three times in a year, are also the ones who rarely step out of their comfort zones. If you understand how the entire process goes through, and think like you're one of them, you wouldn't be making a big hooha. Sure if you were another team who decides to go climb the 5Ks and use the funds, but only realise that hey there aren't enough funds, for a person who is that passionate about climbing, you'd have no qualms waiting next year for the availability of funds. Afterall you don't decide just before you go to sleep tonight that hey tomorrow i wanna go climb the 5Ks. There are many months, years even of preparation involved, sourcing for sponsors are just part and parcel and are as integral to your preparation as the physical & mental prep you have to go through. If you count an average prep for a climb that requires that funds(usually either climbs which don't require oxygen, or big never been done by singaporean climbs) , it will take
at least 2 years. I'm sure you'd have gotten the funds the 2nd year if our dear Mr Khoo has used them the first time round. Let's talk about if you're not going for a climb and have decided to do something similar to Mr Khoo, tank immersion. Sure the prep may not take as long, but i believe that if you were that passionate about your project, you wouldn't give up the project totally just because you had a lack of funds. Other sources are always available, albeit may not be that easily acquired and may take a really looooooooooooooong time to acquire the same amount. If you were a person who'd call off the project simply because you couldn't get the funds this year(other circumstancial reasons may be acceptable), then it most probably was a good idea you didn't get it at all then. Though i hardly think that many of such cases would occur. Afterall these people are led by passion and are definitely determined to push on against all odds, what's the lack of funds to them? Just another obstacle that they'll cross. =)
And all the best to our dear Mr Khoo. I'm sure he'll succeed and push people to live their dreams and step out of their comfort zones.
Unknown at 12:59 pm