ARE YOU STILL THE KID OR PLAY ACTING?

The other day and the other day and the other since I was a teenager who could think, some of the politicians’ speeches and statements that I read hurt me a lot. Not because it affected me directly, but because it seemed to hurt human dignity and showed the worse part of human nature.

I was also puzzled and disturbed how adults I looked up to for the best of values could express the lowest of attitudes and behaviors and thoughts. Being young, I was of course alien to the idea of vested-interest, lack of enlightenment, prejudices, etc. So being naïve, I thought to myself: “If being adult means one has to be evil. Then I never want to grow up. I must try to remain a kid however much I may age”.

It is not easy “trying to remain a kid” because everyone around you will want you to play act. For me, when I went into teaching, I am supposed to “act as a teacher”, whatever that means. It was not enough that I tried very hard to teach my students to be interested in Economics, I have to teach economics the way the adults around me wanted! But I was “lucky”, I got away with my way because I had a creative and equally “kiddish” director of studies who was in his fifties. Without him, being a teacher meant I cannot play snooker with my students who were supposed to be in my class.

I learnt snooker (and then beat them! Yes!) because I wanted them to attend my class. It is ironical that they started coming to my class after I told them “ haiya! Snooker also bad. Lose to me. Please, please don’t be my students because you’ll be bad in economics too!” One of them actually scored an A! They are good kids but not everyone can avoid peer pressure. So, you just have to show them that studying economics does not mean you cannot be “cool in snooker”.

So, the pressure to play act is great. When I became lawyer, people also tried very hard to make me behave “lawyerly”…what? Serious and clever looking? If you are stupid, you are stupid. If you are clever, you are clever. Only fools get duped by play acting. Haven’t you seen the grim, serious looking faces of some of those in some “power” with their artistic way of laughing and talking? That is play acting! They are living life for others – not living their own lives. I find this extremely funny.

Recently a VIP client of mine commented on my t-shirt which had two colours –one faded and a colour from another t-shirt that got stuck on it. I was also wearing this cheap slacks. It was “reminding me of basics day” (RMBD) for me. It just happened that the VIP wanted to see me on my rmbd. I was not going to change my clothing just for him.

Let him think whatever he wants, which to me will be a reflection of him, not me.

I am rambling here? Maybe. But I keep reminding myself to remain the kid. Just be me. Otherwise, the norms and the social “standards” will take over and you will not recognize yourself. You know, the girl must be slim, tall and leggy. The boy must be muscular, handsome (by whose definition?) and loaded. Facebook is in, so is twitter, that song is out, this is the latest. Geez…when can we just be ourself?
What a boring process? I had this view when I was a teen and haven’t changed a bit when I am an adult. I find it so funny and amusing when someone tells me about the latest fashion, for example. Yes, it will soon be the “late fashion”. But these things are harmless. Boring maybe but harmless.

What is HARMFUL is when adults play act dangerous roles and want to have toys that make them evil. Toys like plenty of property, expensive cars, expensive holidays, branded goods (smart business!), a big crowd behind them following everywhere they go – materialism and hedonism. Now this kind of play acting becomes less funny. I actually think it is a mental disorder but because society okeys it, it is accepted.

The fruits of such mental disorder becomes anointed by society as “successful persons”. There is so much I can write on this but time does not allow. It is the play acting of nobility and respectfulness by adults who are in substance the scumbags of the earth that irks me. It irks me even more when the ordinary fellow bestows respect or recognizes these scumbags as successful because they happen to have more toys than he does – unless he too is play acting!

Trust me young people who read this, MOST OF THOSE ADULTS OUT THERE ARE PLAY ACTING. Do not be fooled. Some of their playing acting is because they want to do evil for selfish gains.

And for the weekend, I dedicate this song to you:



PEACE.