This is for you, Aaron Luke #2

Sunway Public Speaking: Adversity

(Aaron Luke)

Right now, an entire nation is contemplating war, while their citizens have to live with the threat of being annihilated. Right now, someone in the world has just learned that they have a tumour growing in their brain.

            Honourable judges, accurate time-keeper, teachers and fellow friends. Adversity, something I shall be talking to you about, is a challenge that threatens what we have and experience at this very moment. It is a situation that causes us grief and hardship and with no doubt, is a painful experience.

            But looking beyond that surficial pain we go through, if we look deeper this very same adversity we go through is what defines us.

            Take a university student going overseas for studies. Imagine having to be separated from your family and friends, imagine having that feeling of comfort and security stripped away from you. More so, imagine the adversity that student goes through, living off Maggi Mee and reusing dirty underwear day after day.

            As painful as it is to have to cope in a foreign country while still studying, that same excruciating experience is the true lesson for the university student. Through it, he learns to be independent. He learns to throw away old ideas about the world and adapt to the problem at hand. He matures. This is what adversity offers us –growth.

            But better yet, imagine the joy he experiences when he returns home. The feeling of being with family again, enjoying a proper meal, catching up with friends. Had he not left overseas, he would never have the chance to feel this way. Only adversity can provide us the contrast in life, to appreciate the good times.

            In essence, ladies and gentlemen, we have to look beyond the initial suffering we go through. As hard as life can be sometimes, we have to realize a greater good behind it all. As Thomas Kempis said, adversity doesn’t make us frail; it merely shows who we are. Adversity is our teacher, it forces us to grow. More so, adversity allows us to appreciate happiness. It shows us two sides of the coin. Only when we know how tough life could be can we be grateful for how good it is right now.

            Adversity may take away everything from us, but we are only losers if we choose to let it win.

--This was for your first round in Sunway. It was around June 2012, I think. The song Viking by Orjan Nilsen was playing in your head the entire time. You almost lost your bag after the 2nd round ("Bigger is better"), and you thought you won after they called out your name to return the bag. Your final round was about "A man is known by the silence he keeps", and your mum was in the audience. Pn. Chng had to leave. 

The speech was never in the script.

This is for you, Aaron Luke. #1

 Treasure

By Aaron Luke

            As a young child, I often wondered; what is the ultimate treasure? I dreamed of sailing the seven seas, pillaging villages and collecting loot. Alas, the life of a pirate is not practical in the context of my time. As I grew older, I realized that everyone had their “ultimate treasure.” A treasure need not be limited to the material world. In fact, wherever I went, people derived their concept of the ultimate treasure from the abstract. Everyone had their purpose in life, the reason they bothered to get out of bed each morning. Everyone had their “treasure”, be it abstract or material in nature. It was a trove of purpose, a well cherished concept or item that gave them reason to do anything.

            Naturally, I wondered, what is my ultimate treasure? I soon realized that pirates and dinosaurs were not something I could treasure for long. There must be something more.

            First I turned to the Almighty. God was my treasure, and faith was the key to the chest. I lived a relatively pious life, secure with the knowledge that the ultimate treasure was within my grasp.  That was not sufficient! This was a treasure to be shared. Soon, each of my friends received the religious book of my choice. After all, should I not share this great discovery of loot with others? Nevertheless, doubts sprung in my mind. I could not reconcile the fact that others have a difference conceptualization of what the treasure could be. Why do they reject my attempts to share the treasure with them? Perhaps my treasure is not the ultimate treasure after all. With much scorn and frustration, I cast away my treasure. Though I face ostracization and contempt, my conception of treasure lies elsewhere.

            Friends and family! The answer had never been cleared. The treasure was within my grasp all this time. After all, what greater treasure could I find, than the love and support I receive from them? They gave me purpose. I live, for they continue to live. Their smiles and encouragement gave me reason to think that life was not such a drab after all. Every day, I showered them with appreciation and love; in return, I got the same. Nevertheless, doubts sprung in my mind. Death entered the picture, and soon I was taught a harsh lesson by life itself. How could I cherish a perishable treasure? Love and appreciation I can give to them, but to herald my friends and family as the ultimate treasure? With much scorn and frustration, I cast away my treasure. Though I face isolation and despair, my conception of treasure lies elsewhere.

            I looked around and I saw smiles on the faces of the rich. They splashed their wealth around and their every desire came true. Fame and fortune became my next target. Emotions may fade, but pure hedonism is worth it. I did as society instructed. I worked hard and amassed a fortune. My every wish was merely a buck away. I was living the “dream.” Nevertheless, doubts sprung in my mind. I was jarred by the idea of emptiness. Where shall my wealth go when I perish? How could I value a treasure that would abandon me? With much scorn and frustration, I cast away my treasure. Though I face destitution and poverty, my conception of treasure lies elsewhere.

            Knowledge became my next conquest. If I were to perish, at least I shall perish with knowledge. Knowledge will never forsake me. It is a treasure that shall forever be mine. I studied and I researched. The universe was a playground to be discovered. Magic was a sham, science was truth. I searched for beauty in the world around me, and I found it everywhere –from the largest of galaxies to the most minute of particles. Nevertheless, doubts sprung in my mind. The more I knew, the less I knew. I realized the treasure was never within my reach, and it would never be. With much scorn and frustration, I cast my treasure away. Though I face foolishness and ignorance, my conception of treasure lies elsewhere.

            As an old man on his deathbed, I often wondered; what is the ultimate treasure? I forsake the spiritual, the emotional, the physical and the intellectual. My journey was fruitless and pointless, or so I thought. Alas, I remembered how enjoyable my journey was. Every morning, I had reason to get out of bed. I cherished each day as I sought out my ultimate treasure. Then, an epiphany struck me; I was blind not to notice it earlier.

            Perhaps the ultimate treasure is life itself. 

--Written in 2013 during your SPM trial exams. You mispelt a tonne of words, and your handwriting was crap. You lost the paper, but it's probably somewhere in your room if you search hard enough.