Fire in the Belly

There are many types of guys in this world. We have the soft type, the sensitive type, the patience type, the cowardly type, the gung-ho type, the hot-headed type and many more. Of course when I say that there is different type of guys, I mean their behavior and not their IQ or physical conditions. So what type of Men are your guy?

ol'Jon is the hot-headed + gungho + aggressive + tenacious type when I was younger. I'm also very smart and good in studies but when the goings get tough, ol'Jon is an animal. I've got into so many fights when I'm young
and crazy that I've lost count of. A lot of times, things would've been settled if I've just walked away or if I do not pursue the matter further. I would say 70% of the fights is avoidable but being me, I just fight it anyway! I remember back in 1999 when I was in a fight with a guy. I practically owned him and the poor sod has no chance that he had to bit me to get away. The reason I remember this fight was that after the fight, I was introduced to Silly Bean by one of my friend. :-)

As I grow older and wiser, some say richer; the fights turn to verbal fights and I got less and less of the action that I think, if the 2010 Jon were to fight the 1999 Jon, it will be over in round 1. In short, ol'Jon has gone soft, became patient and calm. There is 2 ways to look at this, the good side is that I don't get bruises and pains now but the other side of me hate it if I've walked away from a fight!

On Sunday night, God gave me a chance of redemption. I was having a bad back ache, driving back from my mum's place with Silly Bean and Natster in the car. My mood was affected by the back ache and the constant jams on the road. At the junction of my apartment's carpark, an idiot with a lousy slow car with big exhaust was turning out from the wrong direction. Common sense will tell you that if you're in the wrong, you move your(ugly and loud) car aside so that the RIGHT party gets to go home. But no, he ain't moving and we grind to a standstill with his car flashing wildly at ol'Jon. I was prepared to wait(though by now my mood has turn from moderate to bad) and sit it through. I mean you're wrong and I'm not moving an inch for an idiot like you.

And a standoff ensued, until the idiotic Indian driver decided to come out of his car and do some provocative hand languages. Without thinking twice, ol'Jon jumped out of the car, hand clutching a wooden bat and point it straight on to his face. Just like in the movie ol'Jon said; "Move your car now or I smash your silly little face right here!" He was shocked and sort of run back to his car, but after some thoughts and knowing that he has just ran away from a fight(feeling ashamed) he come out again and says, "Oh, if you want to hit me, then hit me" while looking the other way. ol'Jon was so tempted to slammed the bat at his puny head and was faking a strike. A reaction to hold his head and avoid the 'fake swing' makes him look more like an idiot.

After a few exchanges, he moved his car and I drive up with the agreement we settled this when I send my family home. Silly Bean was nervous as I park my car and wanted to go down. Her sad worried eyes tell me that I shouldn't be in a fight when Nathan and herself was now safe and sound. I look at her and told her, no fight is going to happen tonight. So coolly, I walk down to face that idiot who is still smarting from the embarrassment he had just now for chickening out. I walk down, talk to him in a stern voice saying that what he had done is wrong and he was on the wrong direction. Then he told me that I was wrong to threaten him with a bat and trying to pick a fight when it was not necessary. ol'Jon knew I was a bit over the top on this one and agree with him on the bat thing. But I asked him, "What would you've done if someone act aggressively at you and your family?" "Would you've not done the same thing as me?" He couldn't answer and he just told me he did not see my wife and kid. So I guess he kind of agree that I'm entitled to protect my family when provoked. In the end, no fight materialized and the crowd is disappointed. Frankly, I'm a bit disappointed that I did not whooped his ass but accepted his handshakes. Gosh, I'm really grown old!

It took me a whole day to understand why the sudden aggression in myself when I've been a cool old head for a long time. I guess the situation that day triggers an automatic defense system in me knowing that I need to be more aggressive than the aggressor to keep my family safe. No man will allow harm to come to his family no matter how soft he is. And this incident makes me realize how important Nathan and Silly Bean are to me. Important enough to make an old man with a bad ache act like a 17 year old punk with limitless aggression and energy.

I felt pumped up, I felt good....most importantly I understand now that nothing is more important that Natster and Silly Bean...

Goodbye K & Hello ix

Life is full of surprises, a cliche perhaps overused over the years. One of my favorite lines in a movie was by Tom Hanks in the hit movie of 1994, Forrest Gump. I mean this movie could be the inspirational movie of the decade. It matter not that one is not intelligent mentally, it matters not that one speak with funny accent or how one has to wear support braces on the legs. It really doesn't matter if one is bound by the physical nature of its body. What matters is the heart to do things. What matters is the passions one has to do things. What really matters comes from the strongest muscle in our body, our HEART!

You see, poor Forrest was struck down by polio(need to verify) at a young age. He had to wear braces to support his movement. But one day when chased by a group of bullies, his poor legs about to fail him, he broke free from the braces and run like a stallion, powered by the will of the Heart. He went on to become one of the most famous faces in the history of US(in the story) and had the chance to be the first American to shake the hand of a Chinese premier during the cold war. He was apt in Ping Pong, he went to war in service of his country and he run the entire length of America. He also singlehandedly help invent the Smiley Face success story. But did Forrest had a superb body? Nope! Did Forrest had an intelligent mind? Nope! All poor old Forrest had was the Power of Will and the Passion of the Heart. Oh, before I forget, his favorite tag line was; "My Mama always says, Life is like a box of chocolate, you'll never know what you gonna get!"

Closer to home, ol'Jon has had a turbulent life thus far in career sense. Moving on from Keyence has been quite traumatic to my ego and self-believe. I've always thought that moving on will not be a loss to me, financially(immediate) and career prospect wise. There is quite some number of companies keen on getting my services on board. But none has the potential as Keyence, or so I thought. Some pays me more but need uprooting or put simply a competitor outfit(which I don't want). Some gave awesome titles and chances to lead a branch but numerically it is no match for my previous earnings. So I was in conundrum, do I accept a higher pay check and move my young family or accept my competitors offer? Or do I bask in a great title with great responsibility with mere chicken feed? Ok ok, the chicken feed part is exaggerated. So it really bothers me a lot and I've lost faith so many times and sort of thought about the dreaded What If situation over and over again in my head.

My pillar of strength is my wife CP. She supported me all the way and she pick me up from when I was down. She gave me advices and listen to my grouses and even give me a good kick on the backside when needed. She played the Good Cop Bad Cop role to perfection and in the end it gave me renew Will Power and Passion from the Heart to be brave enough to say NO to the jobs that I do not like/want. And then the call came for an interview with ixmation Asia. At first I did not put much thoughts to it and just went for the interview. It went well and before you know it, I've got the job. All in all, I would like to say that being a physically abled and with a sound intelligent mind person, we have to always learn from the less fortunate and be brave in making decisions, be powerful enough to resist things we don't want and be optimistic enough to know that Fortune Favors The Brave.

Every now and then, we need to be brave!

Special Thanks to CP for the Support/Love/Advice/Kicking in the Arse
Special Thanks to Joan for the Prayers and Supports
Special Thanks to Charlotte for the Believing in Me and Encouragements
Special Thanks to Siew the Funny Man with Smeagol Impersonation for Well Wishing
Special Thanks to All who has texted me, called me, mailed me and met me to offer Support

My new journey has begun.....God Willing it will be a fruitful and rewarding one!