Life is so interesting. All the more so, since we can always come up with new parallels to it. Forrest Gump has his famous box of chocolates. Lou Erickso says it's like a taxi -- the meter just keeps ticking whether you are getting somewhere or just standing still. Arifin and his game of pool. Now I have another for you. Hmm, deja vu.

Life is like a basketball court.

I've been thinking about this for some time now. But especially the last couple of months, as our original group has all but disbanded -- marriages, new jobs, new countries, injuries -- and now only two or three of us left. As they go, new people come. New blood, if you will; younger, faster, stronger. I always wonder what kids eat these days.

As the groups on the court change, so do the characters. All the different people that make the composition. All the different styles of play. All the different backgrounds. And as one observes long enough, one starts to discover the parallelism to real-life characters.

Ball hoggers
These guys demand to have the ball in their hands almost every single time. Admittedly, they're good, and a lot of the times given the ball they'll score. It's the way they keep asking for the ball that irritates others. We're not there for some serious competition, simply to have fun on the court -- a bit of pushing and shoving now and then is part of the game. Constant monopoly of the ball is not.

In life, such people are also everywhere. In mailing lists, they keep dominating conversations, voicing opinions regardless whether others care or not. In meetings, they keep talking about their own ideas, all but ignoring others. And when others choose to let it go, they take it as a form of acceptance of their behavior. Just like ball hoggers, these people need to meet their match to start considering others.

Bullies
These guys like to intimidate people. They curse like nobody's business and generously throw angry "I'll eat you if you come near; be afraid of me" glares around. They whack you all they want, they'll upgrade that "I'll eat you" to "I'll kill you" if you do the same to them. Unfortunately, this attitude normally comes in big, muscular -- at times hairy -- packages, so there's nothing the rest of us mere mortals can do.

In life, bullies come in many forms. Sometimes it's your boss. Sometimes it's the security-fee collector -- the local preman -- visiting your store. Sometimes it's the government official behind the airport's immigration counter. They might not be hairy -- unless you're in a certain part of the world, perhaps -- but all the same, you can't do anything, or else you can kiss your job, your store, or your, well, whatever it is you can lose at an immigration counter, goodbyes.

Whiners
These guys cry foul at the slightest of touch. Yes, as I'm typing this, I have a certain person in mind. Again, in a real competition, they're totally entitled to such whining -- one doesn't have to like them in return, of course -- as one or two calls (or non-calls) might mean the difference between winning and losing. In our 'friendly' game? Come on. Don't blame us for having our "dude, go play dolls with your sister" looks on. Yes, I'm still picturing that certain person in my mind.

In life, it isn't that different. Some people keep complaining about anything and everything. I wrote about this a while back. Hmm, more than once, actually. That positions me one complaint away from being a whiner myself. As such, I'd better not go there again.

Leaders
These guys lead by example and everyone turns to them when situation calls. You like to have them in your team. Unlike the ball hoggers, these guys don't need the ball every given time; they can lead and do wonders to the team without even touching the ball once. They set screens, they give useful instructions, they watch the play and adjust themselves accordingly, they seldom panic. They have their minds focused on the big picture and the overall goal; having no points to their names never bothers them.

In life, these are the usually-silent people who observe things objectively and act decisively -- with or without comments -- when it's the right time. Yet, despite their seemingly quiet nature, others notice their presence and defer to them. Such leaders are almost always practical, they don't care much for big words and endless theories.

Hard Workers
These guys run and run and run. And when it's all done, they'll run some more. They don't mind throwing their bodies around and when the game ends, they usually have the most bruises and cuts -- not that they care. These guys get fouled a lot, but, unlike whiners, they don't complain much. Defenders hate them for their endless running. Attackers hate being defended by them. You can hit these guys hard, they'll keep coming back at you.

In life, hard workers don't like sitting around waiting for something to happen. Once the plan's formed, they'll insist on acting on it immediately and wholeheartedly. They don't dwell on mistakes and past failures, they don't like talking about what-ifs and what-shoulda-beens. What's even better is that their inexhaustible energy is usually contagious. This makes such people invaluable assets to any organization.

Pleasant Mates
These guys are just average in terms of basketball skills. But you like having them on court, either as a teammate or an opponent because they're simply fun to play with. They take the game as it is: a game, nothing serious. As a result, there's nothing negative about their attitude and they're always appreciative; they're just there to enjoy the game, that's about it.

In life, such people make for a nice change from the ever bustling rat-race participants. Their lack of stress is the main reason for their perpetual cheerfulness. Just like on a basketball court, these people take things as they come, lightly and without overreacting or overthinking. And the best part is that they won't knowingly steal your light -- or your promotion. Good company to have all around.

Non-Players
These guys are just there to make up the number, mainly because they have the worst skills among you. They rarely affect the outcome of the game and in fact, you tend to forget they're even in your team until you're trapped in the corner with all your leaders, hard workers, and pleasant mates tightly guarded. Then you see these non-players waving their arms and you think, shoot, is this guy my teammate? In the end you have to throw them a pass -- which may or may not reach them after all.

In life, a good deal of us -- apologies for speaking for the rest of you -- likely categorize most people unimportant to us as non-players. It is as we go along and know them better that we'll perhaps move them into one of the other groups. It's not like we're being consciously arrogant and dismissive, it's just that we haven't seen them as being significant -- not until we're trapped in that corner.

Crushes
These guys you have a crush on. Basketball crush, that is. I can't really explain this, but come the black-and-white -- that's what they call it here, it's hompimpah back home -- thing, you secretly wish both of you will be in the same team. Maybe because these guys always throw you good passes. Maybe because they always show appreciation whenever you make a good play. Maybe because they're Kobe Bryant. Or maybe because they're simply the pleasant mates.

In life, these are your best friends. Your chosen partners. People you're most comfortable with. Chances are you, like me, would have a hard time coming up with specific arguments why that is so. One day, one of these people will make you suddenly want to login to Friendster and, despite the endless probing you'll inevitably face, change your status to In a Relationship.

Current music: Gigi - Kepastian yang Kutunggu
Current mood: happy