Someone's Bad Day

21 Ramadhan 1435

It's been a good day so far, and that isn't likely to change as a late dinner is still to come, followed by total relaxation with the Missus, doing absolutely nothing and doing it extremely well.

Things got off to a good start this morning with some enjoyable rehearsing and then an afternoon spent at Geylang Library watching students, including two of our own guys, speechifying for the Plain English Speaking Award proved one well spent. I'd forgotten just how interesting it is to listen to kids from a wide range of colleges doing their thing. And I'd also forgotten just how involved you get in hoping that things turn out right for each speaker as they're up there on what can be an unforgiving stage if you go dry.

Unfortunately that's exactly what happened for one of the participants for an excruciating minute or so. He was a talented speaker and obviously knew exactly where his speech was going and when he suddenly, unexpectedly, dried he just couldn't kick start himself and simply wing it for the last minute, well not right away that is. Eventually he got going, and actually ended reasonably effectively, but his annoyance with himself was obvious and painful.

It took him a while to get back into the room after he came off the stage and it was easy to see why. I had a word with him, along with Jonathan's dad - Jonathan representing our school - and Jonathan himself did sterling work in sticking with him and helping him get over it. I think there's some chance this will work out happily with the young man in question growing from the experience rather than being cut down by it, but you never know.

Oddly enough I'd been listening to one Leonard Cohen on the way to the library singing this: Sing the songs you still can sing / Forget your perfect offering / There is a crack, a crack in everything / That's how the light gets in. If you understand what Lennie is getting at here, you've had your share of bad days. This is knowledge hard-earned, but it offers the chance of some very good days.