I Hope You Dance

PPM ended this week and our English boys crashed at semi-final though they were very optimistic that they would make it this time around. It’s a semi final curse that had repeated 3 times in the last 6 years, every other year we will go to semi final, performed impressively and then lose out.

The guess is the judges had already set their mind about the motion (“This House Believes That Trial By Jury Is Fairer” or something like that). Both the governments in the semi-final (MCKK and ASIS) crashed and it’s more telling because the latter was considered the favourite to win this year. I suppose the judges who are more accustomed to Malaysia’s trial by judge are more prone to take side with whatever is currently in practice in Malaysia, regardless of the arguments presented.

The sad thing is it shatters the dream of two young souls who really wanted to go to the final – Shahir and Pojan; who worked so hard since they were in Form 1 for this moment.

I made up my mind that 2009 would be my last PPM so I wasn’t around this time. I’ve passed the baton to the next generation of coaches led by Sdr Aleng (Headboy Class of 2007) and they are doing a fine job. Aleng was there together with Ed (Class of 2007) and Aqwa (Class of 2007) – I purposely withdraw much of the financial and logistical support as I want them to understand how the previous generation started when we were at their age.

But I was in Kota Bharu a day before the boys arrived in Pasir Putih together with Dany (Class of 90) and Akmal (Class of 2003). I had a semi-work commitment in Kota Bharu so we took the opportunity to catch up driving along the Terengganu coastline on a road trip.

On the way back to KL, Dany came across a song in one of my CD collections that captured his attention for its powerful lyrics and messages.

“I Hope You Dance” is a song by Lee Ann Womack that she wrote and sang for her daughters, capturing her wishes and dreams for them. The song had a special meaning to me (and not just because of its meaningful lyrics) because it was one of the things that kept me sane in the early 2000 when I had had some difficulty in life; being alone in London and all.

The song was also introduced to the debaters subtly when we first came back to coach them. The messages that it carries are the same messages that we try to impart to them. 

In that respect, I am proud that many of them over the years held on to the messages contained in the song that we taught them. With that spirit, Shahir and Pojan should not have any despair if they had lived by the standards and values we hold dear. When all else fails, in the midst of chaos when people around them abandon reasons and fairness to save their skins, these values set them apart even from those who did go to the final of PPM.

I have no doubt that a long line of MCKK future debaters, if they take these messages to heart, will make us proud.

Dany said that he wished arwah Ben would have known the song because he would have felt strongly about it. I thought Ben had embodied the messages all along – he would never stand on the sideline as a by-stander, he would always “dance”. 

He took chances when he thought that was the right thing to do, he offered so much love to the people around him even when more often than not he was mistaken about other people’s sincerity. But he danced and that made him much greater than most of us – even if it cut short his life.

So to the MCKK family, past, present and future – I dedicate this to you. What sets us apart is not the badge or label we wear, it is the values we live by.

I hope you never lose your sense of wonder 

You get your fill to eat 

But always keep that hunger 

May you never take one single breath for granted 

God forbid love ever leave you empty handed

I hope you still feel small 

When you stand by the ocean 

Whenever one door closes, I hope one more opens 

Promise me you'll give faith a fighting chance

And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance 

I hope you dance 

I hope you dance 

I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance 

Never settle for the path of least resistance 

Living might mean taking chances 

But they're worth taking 

Lovin' might be a mistake 

But it's worth making 

Don't let some hell bent heart 

Leave you bitter 

When you come close to selling out 

Reconsider 

Give the heavens above 

More than just a passing glance 

And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance 

I hope you dance 

I hope you dance 

I hope you still feel small 

When you stand by the ocean 

Whenever one door closes, I hope one more opens 

Promise me you'll give faith a fighting chance 

And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance 

I hope you dance 

I hope you dance 

Footnote

This is a snippet of the video for 2005’s camping – the first one ever held. Most of the boys are in universities now, some have graduated. It was a happy family back then – arwah Shahrol was still with us and Fazurin (the quiz master) still presided over The College Challenge. Wong and Badut organised the whole camping for us (the video was captured with analog camcorder and edited with Pinnacle, years before digital camcorder came into our midst)

The full song before it was corrupted by cover versions.