Storms rock. There's the sunshine afterward to look forward to.
Monday, June 16, 2008
What Is Considered Failure
It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all; in which case, you fail by default.
-an excerpt from J.K. Rowling’s speech at the Harvard University commencement address this month.
In other words, don't ever give up, always try new things, don't be afraid of failure, because once you admit defeat, then you have truly failed. In the immortal words of Thomas Edison, one of my heroes who are already dead, "I haven't failed! I just found 10000 ways that don't work!!!"
What dedication to the lightbulb. What spirit. If anything, he really didn't need to give birth to the lightbulb, because his spirit (passion purpose drive haha) was already much brighter than the fluorescent lamps that would be invented in the wake of his masterpiece. And I've committed to living this spirit in my own life. I shall present an anecdote to illustrate this.
Well, I really love the Internet. My friends know this very well. Maybe too well. Oh well. Well, so as I was rampaging through the jungles of Brunei, I endeavoured to find a place where I could access the Internet via wireless means, just like Singapore. It was......................difficult. Why?
Houses actually had spaces between them, unlike Singapore, so no chance of 'HDB-wide wireless'. There was only one MCD in my district, so sayonara MCD wireless. Airport wireless? Pfft. Even if there was, I wouldn't be allowed to spend my life in the airport anyway.
I came across a restaurant with a 'wi-fi' sticker on the door. Heaven be praised! Wireless net! I went in, set up my laptop, and asked for a password. "Tehcspecial". How imaginative. *rolls eyes double* The connection was fine enough..................... until I tried to access something other than MSN. Nothing else could be done.
Another day, I came across another restaurant. The password given to me this time was "abc2421268". Slightly better, but any dude with a phonebook looking for the restaurant's phone number could get in, with a bit of luck, of course. But I digress. The connection was just as bad, if not worse.
But still, I persevered. I searched, and searched, and searched, and like Edison of old, I found 10000 hotspots that didn't work (exaggeration, in case you didn't know, but I have to draw parallels, so...) Maybe I couldn't find it in Brunei. But Malaysia? Hmm...
So began my search. The hotel room had wired broadband (yippee!) but it was overly exorbitantly priced. The hotel lobby had wireless net, but a prepaid card was needed to be purchased first. But just as I was about to give up, Edison spoke to me (figuratively, of course) and directed me to a place with Free. Wireless. Fast Enough. Internet. My search is over, and I enjoy the fruits of my labour.
Why do I say Edison directed me here? Because *cue the flamboyant bow and drumroll* this place still uses old fashioned lightbulbs rather than fluorescent lamps. Edison called me through his invention. Curious coincidence, don't you think? Encouraged by one of the people I look up to, from the grave, to make use of his success, to achieve my own. How fascinating.
