Title
DARING ENOUGH TO CHANGE THE WORLD
Changing the world is not an easy task.
To be daring enough to make a significant transformation,
is a truly challenging concept. The world today has evolved
into a very technical age, where televisions and computers
have become the standard medium for human interaction and
communication. However, we can see that no matter what kind
of medium we use to convey our messages, visual entertainment
has never ceased to influence the many ideas and cultural
roots that form the basis of our psychology and which gives
us a sense of belonging.
I believe that, if we are serious about changing the world,
we have to start by targeting the of our own mindsets. Although
there are many other factors that can directly affect our
development, visual entertainment is still the major instrument
that influences us. From the TV screen to the internet,
the visual media of today forces us to open our eyes and
acknowledge the vast horizons of human interaction and ideas
in the world today.
The media’s power to influence through affecting
our visual reality is a very real one. Reports that show
children exposed early to violence from movies and gaming
have the tendency to become a criminal. Nor is the media’s
power to affect us new: history also shows us that visual
entertainment media can satisfy our own desires. People’s
lust for blood in the ancient roman gladiatorial games packed
the amphitheatres of old just as wrestling stadiums today
pound with the bloodthirsty roars of The Undertaker’s
fans.
Therefore, I believe that one of the best ways we can change
the world is through the use of visual entertainment. But
to be daring enough, we have to have be brave enough to
use some truly unique skills that are able to make an impact
on the lives of many people.
Teenagers nowadays are too conscious about their own image.
They cannot afford to do anything that may seem stupid as
it will affect their “reputation”. Hence,
many of them tend to choose to go to more highly regarded
sporting areas such as soccer or basketball, forsaking softer
low-profile sports like softball and karate. If low-profile
sports suffer from image problems in our sports-obsessed
Singaporean society, even worse sufferers are the Arts which
have been traditionally regarded as areas for ‘artistic’
layabouts who could not get into the Science Stream in schools.
Artistically, Singapore perpetuates stereotypes. Drama is
singled as the domain of angsty social rebels while music
is a gift only to the more perfectly-pitched talents. As
for the rare area of artisitic entertainment that I excel
in, well… I’ve often been labeled a clown.
Yes, as a trained juggler myself, I have often came by remarks
that refer juggling as a clownish act rather than a development
sport. Indeed clowns do juggle, but what they can do is
only the tip of the iceberg. What we are really focusing
on is visual entertainment: to act stupid and for the greater
aim of providing laughter to the crowds. The fact that the
Olympic Council has started to discuss whether to include
juggling as a sporting event has clearly shown that juggling
is not merely an act of random foolery.
Besides providing visual entertainment by impressing the
audience with difficult tricks and tough routines, juggling
can also help improve a person psychologically and physically.
It teaches patience, focus, determination and the sprit
to fight on even after many failures. Juggling is a serious
business, an increase in the number of balls (or whatever
object you are juggling with), results in an exponential
increase of training time. So to be a wonderful 12 object-juggler,
you probably need at least 20 years of non-stop 8-hours–
a-day practice. Surely the value of intense discipline,
as stated above, that are the core of human development,
can be easily forged and well drummed into the minds of
many of our people. With this new-found determination, the
people will then be able to focus more on what they are
particularly doing, and the society can change at an unbelievable
speed.
Many jugglers I know have told me that when they reach a
certain level (5-objects) , they actually have the power
(or aura) to sense things around them! As they can juggle
more, this “spider-sense” actually becomes
larger in radius. A study done in the united states have
shown that the total brain mass of jugglers is actually
almost 1.5 times the size of a normal adult. And that the
brain mass continue to grow as long as they juggle! Also
a juggler’s hand-eye coordination becomes so highly
automatic that they can excel in any single sports! All
these are beneficial to the body and the minds. So why not
introduce juggling into the curriculum of schools? An interesting
piece of news about a juggler’s close relative- unicycling-
is that all primary schools in Japan have to include unicycling
as part of their curriculum as it teaches primary school
kids the ability to balance better and to be more focused
and more determined.
Thus, comparing the social and working attitude of Japan
and any other Asian countries, can juggling/unicycling actually
help the society to prosper economically and healthily?
I firmly believe so, that juggling/unicycling has changed
the mindsets of the Japanese children since a very young
age.
Henceforth as a young juggler myself, I will try to introduce
this misunderstood sports into Singapore schools. Be it
facing tough criticisms or the eye-rolling or the laughter
of many individuals, I am sure juggling had helped me by
giving me the determination to push on and overcome any
obstacles. It has also taught me humility. If more young
people would lose their self-consciousness and be willing
to make a fool of themselves for a good cause, I believe
this could translate into them being willing to go out on
a limb to creatively contribute to society in a passionate
way. How many would stand in front of a crowd with a red
nose and balloons? How many can get to feel the intense
satisfaction of that crowd’s joy and goodwill? It
is a small step from red-painted noses to mud-stained hands
from building community shelters in India. An acrobatic
cartwheel in a funnysuit isn’t so far away from donning
a wet suit and working to clear an oil-spill.
To be daring enough to change the world, youths must be
daring enough to be different and make a ‘clown’
of themselves if necessary on a small scale first.
From bringing smiles to the faces of millions to cultivating
discipline in oneself, juggling and professional clowning
is entertainment that few will be daring enough to take
up to change the world. I believe, however, that this is
one of the best methods to bring laughter and focus to a
world sagging under the weight of daily calamities and spiritual
emptiness.
