I am not one who talks much. Spontaneous conversation is not one of my traits, and I have never given much thought to practice such skills. Usually quiet, I am content just sitting back listening while those around me chatter away, preferring to watch the events unfold around me and enjoying the spectacle.
Even during my riding days, I would often seek secluded areas in which I could wheel around without drawing the eyes of onlookers. I guess it is partly reflected in my choice of endeavour: more towards balancing and skills that get you to one place faster (North Shore, freeride, and practical street trials) than big air and attention-grabbing manoeuvres (BMX, dirt jump).
Back in school, I was not someone who particularly stood out. I did not really participate in conventional sports, my overall grades were mediocre, and, due to my introverted personality, rarely make my voice heard among the group I hanged out with.
Yet, even with my more reclusive inclination, I somehow seem to make an imprint deep enough for quite a few people to remember me by, and the image I left on most of them are not ‘quiet’, ‘shy’ or the like. Few events occurred which spurred me to take the certain actions, and I became known by some interesting, yet complimentary titles. Some of my displays even influenced others to imitate them; my rides had others putting their feet to the pedal, and the last I heard, one of them was ultimately sponsored and taking part in downhill races.
I did not truly appreciate it then, but some of the things I did made quite an impact on others. A number of them were simple actions merely offered on a whim, but had people responding to me in unexpectedly pleasant ways.
Once during secondary school my Christian Fellowship (CF) advisor (who also happened to be my class teacher) suggested taking the period of recess to fast and pray during the period of Lent, recalling what Jesus Himself had done in the desert for 40 days. For me, who rarely ate in school on normal days, I readily took up my teacher’s suggestion and sought a quiet area in my school on the first day of Lent.
The next few weeks found me praying alone in one of the few huts sprawled within the area, albeit with a few prefects patrolling around the school. This continued until the middle of Lent, before some of my CF members spotted me in of the huts. I think I might have guilt-rode them that day XD: when I was done and heading back to class, I saw them a slight distance away from my position in a circle with their heads bowed. It did not help that one of the prefects (who happened to be a good acquaintance of mine) informed(?) them to what I was doing (right after making me laugh as well -.-, though he did not know initially what I was there for). After that incident, other students joined in as well, and the prayer group continued until the end of the Lenten season.
During my college days I was one, if not the most quiet and reclusive member in my CF. Due to consistently attending the meetings, I was chosen as part of the committee then. One day, while talking to the president and teacher-in-charge, I suggested having a retreat with the past, present and potential committee members in order to deepen our relationship with one another in God. I would not say the trip smooth sailing: for one thing, I had to organise it almost entirely by myself. Nor was it perfect, as I felt objective did not quite hit the mark. Nevertheless, the retreat seemed to have left an impression on those present, as the trend continued after I left college.
When I first joined the Catholic Students Society (CSS) at the start of university, I experienced what could be termed as a culture shock in the meetings. Members were composed almost entirely of Sabah East Malaysians, and the way they run their programmes were quite unlike their Peninsular counterparts. Worship songs were in Malay and made up most of a session, sharings were really short sometimes in Malay, and there were even times when the reference of God and the Bible were completely left out of context during sharing. If I were to describe it plainly, it was a culture exclusive group, with little leeway for anyone outside of East Malaysia to blend in (note that foreign students also make up a significant amount in the university).
Due to the stark contrast in culture, as well as my silent and not-so-flexible nature, I had difficulty participating in the sessions. Nevertheless, I continued to attend all of the meetings, and this led to an invitation to attend the Penang Coordinating Council (PCC), a meeting together with other CSSs and the priest in charge that discusses the issues pertaining to the welfare of the CSSs north of Peninsular Malaysia.
It was during the meeting I bluntly voiced out my thoughts about the CSS: the issues and the discomfort I felt every time I went for the meeting. The initial reactions I got from my own CSS leaders were expectedly a little defensive, and there was a certain pressure on my part as I was one of only 2 who are not from East Malaysia. However, after coming back from the meeting, I could see changes taking place within the community, slowly but definitively. My relationships with those who were initially taken aback from my opinion somehow also became stronger.
These experiences I have been through led me to believe that a single soul, however unassuming the person is, can truly make all the difference in the world, if he/she decides to lay a hand in the matter. There is no need to announce your views on a pulpit, but never be ashamed to stand up for your beliefs and for what is right. The light you carry will naturally find its way to others, just as one who spots a house of warmth and comfort on a dark and stormy night, and draws near for a closer look.
RFG always.
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