musical obscurity

One of my most favorite musicals is Avenue Q.. While some people may not like the message or the delivery, I see that a lot of lessons we can learn from it.

Consider the following lines and comments after them:

1. "Everyone's a little bit racist, it's true! But everyone is just about as racist as you. Ethnic jokes might be uncouth but you laugh because they're based on truth. Don't take them as personal attacks. Everyone enjoys them, so relax."

Everyone is really a little racist. I confess that I am my own worst racist. While most people make fun of other races, I make fun of my own. I even create my own Chinese-racist jokes. This practice is not to be evil or to look down on people. It's to poke fun at things we observe and a sign that I am quite secure and comfortable with my ethnicity.

In fact, being a little racist is healthy for the soul. We have our personal biases, culture, belief system, and standards of beauty. In a society that dictates what's supposed to be "the norm", the norm keeps changing. It's up to us to decide which norms we take as our own.

2. "I wish I could go back to college. Life was so simple back then... in college you know who you are. You'd sit in the quad and think Oh My God! I am totally gonna go far... I wish I could go back to college, I don't know who I am anymore... But if i were to go back to college, think what a loser I'd be. I'd walk through the quad and think OH MY GOD! These kids are so much younger than me."

This song struck quite a chord in me. Back when we were in highschool or college, we did have dreams and we had plans of how they were supposed to be followed. Unfortunately, life has a funny way of telling us that we are wrong. Cultural and political environs shake and break idealisms. The things we consider are right do not always end up being right.

Life is, indeed, funny. We are given a make-or-break chance back in college. No second chances. Just the message that you have to deal with your life as soon as it is thrown at your face.

Not so many people go through this, though. There are quite a number of people who seem to always know who to stick around with, where to be at, and what to do. Like they say "some are born to greatness and some have greatness thrust upon them." Some people are really born under lucky stars with not do-overs.

3. "You gotta go after the thing you want while you're still in your prime. There's a fine fine line between love and a waste of your time."

In connection with the previous lines/paragraphs, life teaches you the lesson that you should always make the most of what you have. Strike while the iron is hot and all that jazz.

In the past, you were best to take things slow... but life has taken a spin towards oblivion where each second does count and you're only as good as your last task. The moment you show a little waning of skill, you are replaced with someone or something new.

Life is not simple, nor should it be that complicated. I guess that's why I love Avenue Q. It reminds me of lessons in life that I seem to have forgotten. Can't wait for Atlantis to finally show it onstage here.