Playing Pingpong

Do you remember how great a pingpong player Forrest Gump was? No, not just in 'the' table tennis world, but in his entire world -- just bouncing back what life gives with seeming ease. Of course, it is just a movie, but isn't real life one long stretch of telenovelas strung together? Don't you wish you can do what Forrest did? Anyone could be a Forrest, or a Gump, take your pick.

Real life pingpong. It can be easy as it sounds.

Just today, I was set to go to a city down in Mindanao. Very important work there was waiting. My flight was scheduled at 230pm. But my boss had better ideas yesterday, and he asked me to give a presentation to a city council this morning. The meeting was scheduled at 9am (and I was there at 8.30am despite the traffic), was moved to 10am, but I finally got to present at 11am.

It was 12nn already when I got out. Under the noonday sun, I was deciding whether to stress myself rushing to get my things and dashing to the airport -- or -- to 'play pingpong' instead. At that moment, My Babe called, and asked how I was, and learning about my predicament (at that point I can see her smiling at the other end of the line), she gave that hanging question -- don't you think its better to have lunch instead of rushing to the airport (and not anyway catching the plane)? With that little push, I brought out my little paddle to bounce back those little white balls.

Yes, why not? I called the office and asked them to rebook my flight for the next day, saying that the presentation took more time than expected, and I will definitely be late for the flight. With one swift stroke, I bounced stress away (towards another unlucky fellow). I will worry later when that little white ball comes back. For now, I am going to have a hearty lunch with My Babe.

When I got to Emerald where My Babe's office was, I walked the rest of the way to the Japanese restaurant where we were to meet. As I walked along the windy stretch of highrises, threading to the throngs of call center agents, I thought of the various pinpong scenarios in life:

- get stressed or stress everybody else?
- wait or be late?
- be the shock absorber or be the loud speaker?
- answer the phone call or let it ring, let it ring, let it ring?
- get defensive over an irritating question or just smile and fade away?

There are many more. What's your pingpong scenario?

Anyway, I got to the Jap resto, My Babe and I ordered maki, yakisoba, and tempura, and we ate and talked about many thing and ate and ate. It did beat rushing to the airport and saying s*!t and f!*k a thousand times. We even had coffee afterwards! Ah, life...

From time to time, we do have to 'pingpong' stress somewhere else (doesnt matter where). And to borrow from our autistic hero, we have remember that "Life is like a box of choknut, you'll never know if its durog or not".