A Game of Blind Mice (Mouse) Catching

As a routine, I took my wallet and mobile, put on my slippers and went out for a take-out. It was a lunch-time thing, heading to the nearest coffee-shop to order a take-out. It took me 2 rounds of viewing at the never-changing stalls before deciding on the char kuay teow. Don't worry, this post has nothing to do with decision-making. Read Janet's if you're more interested in that. Haha.

Something sparked my interest while on my way home, all happy with the packet of char kuay teow that I would soon devour. *By the way, it was a huge packet, I wondered when the uncle increased the serving for just $2.50. No Kidding.* There was this bunch of juniors from PEPS hanging around a playground, and one of them shouted, "Let's play blind mice catching la?! Only the blind mice can touch the floor, the rest cannot!". Did it bring back childhood memories here?

Of course I'm not going to elaborate on how the game is played. It is just a game consisting of a/some blind mice (blind-folded of course) trying to catch the rest of the people scaling the play area (a complex of slides, ladders, etc. etc.) without touching the ground.

This suddenly brought about a thought while i was walking home. While those kids were in their own world of mice, everyone of us is not seeing anywhere near clearer. Think about this - on planet Earth, all of us are blind-folded, searching for that something we want ultimately. Sometimes, certain targets are easier to achieve than the other. Sometimes, although we have the whole space to wonder, we do not know where to go, what to pursue. Sometimes, when you reach a foreign ground, you do not know whether to take a risk or not.

You are the blind mouse. In life, you have a few goals. Goals like achieving straight As, earning big bucks, becoming a successful businessman, maybe becoming the best char kuay teow's stall owner/cook. Perhaps some one out there aim to strike lucky with 4D and Toto all the time. There might even be people who sit whole day in front of the TV, observing the fluctuations in the stock market, analysing the best time to invest, and hoping to strike big one time.

Here you are blind-folded. You have captured an image of how the world looks like, so it's time to choose where to go first to capture your first target. Maybe the stairs, since it's the easiest. Next the slide. Followed by the firemen's pole; No, maybe you should start with the slide. Paths to choose, paths that confuse. When you have finally decided on one, often it's too late to turn back. You can change paths nonetheless, but that would mean you have taken a huge detour.

And now, you have achieved the easier targets. There are areas you haven't explored. Maybe too dangerous a path to tread. It can be the roof of the complex, or the underside of the slide. Those are places the tougher targets are hiding. However, there are risks to take. You might fall and end up never again able to reach that target, or it can just be a slight hiccup and you learn from your lesson. Being more skilful and experienced help, as your chances of falling are reduced, but only a few are capable.

So many goals, so many targets. Among these group of targets, some are good at hiding and climbing to higher grounds, while some are unable to. This presents the distinct difficult and easy targets. If you are capable enough, the easy ones will be a breeze, and the tougher ones will be within reach; if you are not, the easy ones may prove to be difficult, and those tougher ones may seem totally unattainable in your lifetime. That of course, separates high-achievers from others.

Sometimes, you do get lucky. By some chance or another, you managed to reach for the tough targets. True enough you've reached, but are you good enough to hold on to them? Are you, in anyway, capable to capitalize on the luck and chance to hang on tight to this target of yours?

Then come a time the game ends. You see the world much clearer now. You see some of your targets far away, while some already in your grasp. When you notice that some targets could be achieved through a certain path you are more than fit for, regrets sink in. Then when you look at some of the captured tough targets, and you re-kindle the sweet success you had.

Well, so which mouse are you going to be? One who had worked hard to go for all the targets, or one who have too many regrets to speak of? One who had regrets not worth talking about, or one who have glories not even worth mentioning?

Happy playing the game =D.

*I will finish my char kuay teow before I start this hide-and-seek again =D*