.
There is a song you won’t sing. It’s the punch that takes you out for good. When you land and you won’t get up again. Fall and remain Fallen. You don’t get to rise. You ain’t no angel, no Venus. When the lights finally go out, you’re left with no more time for doubts or regrets or quiet, bitter moments of soul-wracking humiliation, you’re simply gone.
Why worry about life on Mars when Life on Earth is far more fragile? And brief, threatening to slip away even as we fill our minutes and hours of our finite days with complaints and fear and hate and lost opportunities. We keep hesitating cos we need to be sure, so sure before we make a single move. A mistake would kill us. We keep waiting for something to happen, for someone to tell us what to do.
No one’s gonna tell you what to do.
Sometimes we just don’t need to be so sure. Forget certainties, there are none. You know you haven’t been knocked out yet, don’t you? Let that be enough. Simply live, right now. May you be happy, my friend.
Credits: Design by Kenny Mah. Source photograph by Konstantin Schneider.
This is at once beautiful and morbid. My fav line would be… “no more time for […] humiliation”. Oh yes. When I’m gone, I just want to be gone. No room for hind sight and going, “Aww, shoulda done that differently…” You know, you make getting knocked out sound almost positive! XD
how true. esp the line on
“We keep waiting for something to happen, for someone to tell us what to do.”
guess this holds true to most M’sians.
Psssst! I’m so glad the title ain’t “Knocked Up”.
As Confucius said: “Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”
What are the chances of my first three readers for this post having names all starting with the letter ‘J’?
» Jesse
Haha, I’m not saying getting knocked out is a great thing, simply using it to illustrate that we best do what we wanna before that comes along, and that does come along for everybody.
» J2Kfm
Yup. Let’s forget about pro-Government or pro-Opposition and just get pro-ACTIVE!
» Jemima
Aye, let’s keep on risin’ till that last bit where we really don’t wanna rise, not unless we wanna audition for one of those Hong Kong B-grade vampire movies!
is that a pic of YOU getting knocked out? haha, joking
‘Let that be enough.’
i wish that it;s enough.
» KC
Almost, bro, almost.
» wintergirl
Let it be, let it be, oh let it be. *hugs*
“We keep hesitating cos we need to be sure, so sure before we make a single move. A mistake would kill us. We keep waiting for something to happen, for someone to tell us what to do. No one’s gonna tell you what to do.”
this is wat i’ll be gng thru as an intern next yr. scary.
» Jun
Scary but exciting too, no? You’re first step in becoming a full-fledged doctor! I am confident you would do a great job, Dr. Jun!
i’ll keep on getting up …until that faithful day… i can stand no more! then off to the heavenly realms .. teehee
» cumidanciki
Yeah, when we can stand no more… we lie down lah!
haha omg, sounds like me fighting the drowsiness from the flu meds b4 i forget all the things in the world and SLEEP!
We worry to much about the sucker punch that we play safe. You are right going in. Maybe gingerly and careful but still go in. If fell it won’t be the sucker punch but a fair fight. That’s what matters to the man’s ego.
» lotsofcravings
LOL … I think I’m falling down with the flu right now and I do crave SLEEP too.… Are we both gonna get knocked out?
» Chin
We should all go in for a fair fight, and we have a fair chance of winning at Life, no?
When i find myself in times of trouble
Mother mary comes to me
Speaking words of wisdom, let it be.
And in my hour of darkness
She is standing right in front of me
Speaking words of wisdom, let it be.
Let it be, let it be.
Whisper words of wisdom, let it be.
And when the broken hearted people
Living in the world agree,
There will be an answer, let it be.
For though they may be parted there is
Still a chance that they will see
There will be an answer, let it be.
Let it be, let it be. yeah
There will be an answer, let it be.
And when the night is cloudy,
There is still a light that shines on me,
Shine on until tomorrow, let it be.
I wake up to the sound of music
Mother mary comes to me
Speaking words of wisdom, let it be.
Let it be, let it be.
There will be an answer, let it be.
Let it be, let it be,
Whisper words of wisdom, let it be.
if u get knocked out sure got girls run over and give u CPR fast fast! lol
» Keith
Thanks for sharing — that’s a lovely Beatles song, one of my favourites. I guess you caught my little nod to them in the comment above, huh? Nice one.
» Calypso
You sure they’re girls and not dirty, old men? LOL (You guys gotta read the previous post’s comments to get this joke, heh.)
The picture looked somewhat kinky or was it my imagination? Haha!
Yes.. there is no certainty in this life other than death and taxes.
lol. u remembered! i’m sur ethe dirty old men will come runnign too… hahaha
» gina
The picture? Kinky? Granted, I did have my way with it a little (with Photoshop lah, don’t get naughty thoughts), but the original photo was just a normal knock-out pic of a boxer. What’s kinky about that?
Hehe, now I know what turns gina on…
» Calypso
Wah, if liddat I may never wake up!!
“Why worry about life on Mars when Life on Earth is far more fragile?“
Like why insist on a trip to outer space when most may not ‘survive’ the economic haze?
“And brief, threatening to slip away even as we fill our minutes and hours of our finite days with complaints and fear and hate and lost opportunities.”
so true. easier to be happy than waste time on feeling bad.
» Tummythoz
Yes, on a more serious note, I’ve been troubled by stories of some friends and acquaintances who are really not handling this downturn that well. It can get to you. Still, we have to face it and not hide under the pillows or stuff our head into sand… The problems will still be there when we arise from our hiding places, ja?
Here’s a silent prayer for everybody’s well-being. Not for riches, but for everyone having enough at least.
» grace
“easier to be happy than waste time on feeling bad.”
My feelings, exactly. Too much time we have wasted on feeling bad, too much energy and opportunities. Even if we don’t scale Everest or climb the Great Wall of China, at least we can live our own lives triumphantly. Every day is a good day. If we believe hard enough in this, it will be so.
“Every day is a good day. If we believe hard enough in this, it will be so.”
i believe yes i believe!
“Even if we don’t … at least we can live our own lives triumphantly.”
I like that. Living our lives TRIUMPHANTLY. not just any boring life but with MEANING. we have only ONE life after all, make FULL USE of it. Correct?
» grace
Brilliant. Good on ya, sister!
» Uncle Lim
Correct, correct, correct.
(Malaysians will understand the humour in the above. Heh.)
good morning! a new post! yaaayyy!!!
^ __ ^
“Still, we have to face it and not hide under the pillows or stuff our head into sand… The problems will still be there when we arise from our hiding places, ja?”
very true. better to deal with it now than tomorrow. tomorrow never comes? no, no, no… tomorrow ALWAYS comes!
Wah. Who’s picture is that?
» Anna
Now if I can get greeted every morning with this much enthusiasm I would most assuredly be knocked out a very happy man!
» the_lighthouse
Hahaha, maybe that will be next 007 flick — Tomorrow Always Comes?
» Paul
Just a random model, I guess. The source photo credit is above, first comment. It was a much cleaner picture though. I wanted to dirty it up a little, make it a bit sweaty and weary but not with grime. Maybe with lustreless glamour, you know what I mean?
I smiled at the sight of that smiley at the end of your post.
–“No one’s gonna tell you what to do.”
I only just figured that out.
yeah, most of the time, it’s about the fear of pain, both physical and mental. if only one can pass through that, the heavyweight title’s in the hands!
everyone will get there with each passing, wiser day!
» Michelle
That smiley was for you, and all the other ‘you’ that are out there reading this. Nothing like a smile to cheer up one’s day, eh?
And it’s okay, having no one to tell us what to do. We just have to figure it out by ourselves — and what an adventure it’d be!
» Nic(KHKL)
And you, my brother, are most assuredly a heavyweight champion! A winner all the way!
An adventure, definitely. A little scary to take that first step, don’t you think? To take that first step into the unknown.
just post a new blog everyday and we’ll greet u like this every morning!
including weekends!
» Michelle
A little scary, yes. With a friend holding your hand, a lot better, don’t you think so?
» Anna
Yikes! I’m barely managing a couple of posts a week as it is! It’d be a minor miracle to post seven days a week!
miracles do happen. especially during xmas!
i *heart* the beatles. u really like them don’t u?
The blood and grit of a real man’s fight. Have to get up again no matter what. The fight goes on. Question is: What are u getting up for?
i believe the term is taking calculated risks…
but then again, sometimes calculating the risks seem to be so frustrating and pointless that you just decide to dive in and see what happens.
and it is so true that ‘no one is gonna tell us what to do’
when you despair, and seek answers from clairvoyants and what nots… at the end of the day, it all boils down to you. your decision, your choice.
a very well written piece my friend! short, but packs a punch!
have a great weekend (well…its *almost* the weekend)
» Anna
Gosh, I’ve almost forgotten about Xmas being around the corner! The year is ending so fast! Where did 2008 disappear to? Soon, it’d be time for jingle bells and chestnuts roasting on open fire… or at least at the Isetan roasted chestnut stall.
And yeah, miracles do happen.
*keeps fingers crossed*
» masni
They are my absolute favourite band ever. They set the standard, really. They are The Standard.
» Jeffer
I wake every morning to live a full day that I may otherwise not have the next. Life is too precious to live with our face to the floor, mate.
» lingzie
weekend? Eh, a bit too early lah. Nanti your boss marah baru tau!
And yeah, calculated risks. It’s a nice corporate phrase but the reality is, we either take risks or we don’t. And Life is nothing but a series of risks… and also rewards. Let’s not forget that part, dear.
that’s a damn good reason to wake for every morning. cheers, mate!
Love this post…succintly put!
And since we are encouraging each other…love this song by Jessica Riddle:
“You’ve found hope, you’ve found faith,
Found how fast she could take it away.
Found true love, lost your heart.
Now you don’t know who you are.
She made it easy, made it free,
Made you hurt till you couldn’t see.
Sometimes it stops, sometimes it flows,
But baby that is how love goes.
You will fly and you will crawl;
God knows even angels fall.
No such thing as you lost it all.
God knows even angels fall.
It’s a secret no one tells;
One day it’s heaven, one day it’s hell.
It’s no fairy tale; take it from me,
That’s the way it’s supposed to be.
You laugh, you cry, no one knows why
But OH the thrill of it all…
You’re on the ride, you might as well
open your eyes…
You will fly and you will crawl;
God knows even angels fall.
No such thing as you lost it all.
God knows even angels fall.”
Reminds me of you and me and 2007.
talk about knock-out.
i was totally knock-out the last few days. so busy and fell sick.
the total knock out happened yesterday when i thought i would lie down to rest a while and the next thing i knew, i slept from 6pm — 7am the next morning. LOL..
btw, are the ‘liquid’ on the picture meant to be blood or saliva? hehe…
» KC
The best reason.
» Kaya MeeKoo
Lovely song… thanks for sharing!
» Lyrical Lemongrass
Oh I could write an entire epic about you and me and 2007. A veritable Saga.
» keropokman
Wow, now that’s what I call SLEEPING. And without a sleeping bill to boot. Seriously though, hope you’re feeling better now after the rest. Take care of your health, bro.
P.S. Your choice of bodily fluids. Take your pick.
yikes. choice of bodily fluids sounds.…. enuf said..
» keropokman
That easy to clam ya up, bro? Well, they do say I have a way with words…
Omg, I completely agree with Jemima by the way. I keep typing it “knocked up” and then having to go back and edit myself. Oops. Freudian slip there…?
» Jesse
Now I’m wondering if I should change the title of this post altogether!
Freud would be so proud…
what’s tis Saga about u and lyrical lemongrass? do tell us…
this is the chestnut stall at klcc? i love that one… so fragrant!
Make that THREE. I thought it was “Knocked Up!” too…
» KC
Let’s just say that’s another story for another day, or year, even. Hahaha…
» Anna
That’s the one!
» Pianista
*faints*
reminded me of dead poets society. carpe diem!
» Sunny
Gosh, that’s such an old movie… Ethan Hawke was almost a kid in that one, no? “O Captain, My Captain!” All those lines, all that magic… Thanks for being reminded of this, and for reminding me in turn, of it. A most excellent film.
The photo screams OUCH! He who hesitates is lost?
robert sean leonard was also really good as the kid that commited suicide at the end of the movie.
» Camemberu
Ouch is right when you realise the enormity of what you’ve lost — but nothing is truly lost. I believe in second chances — the sort we create for ourselves.
» Sunny
Aww, dude! You gave the plot away!
But yeah, they were both really good — their stories and performances just broke my sappy lil heart.
so deep la, i oso dunno how to comment. better remain silent and be thought the fool than speak and remove all doubt, hor.….…..
» fatboybakes
Where got deep? Haiyo and haiya… And sir, if you’re a fool, what are we?
those who want certainties are those who are not game for adventure…
yeah, we can never grasp everything in life.
» zewt
Game for adventure? Make that Adventure with a capital A, and I’m in, bro! That’s what Life should be — One Big Adventure!
Let’s not get knocked out
In a single bout
There’s more to Life
Than just one fight.
When we know we’re right
We continue to strive!
» Célestin
Fight, fight into the Night!
Till we burn out our last light!
wahhhh!!!! i thot his head got broken off or sthg by the punch!!! 0________0
may you be happy too kenny