AGGRESSIVELY DIFFERENT

Man has always loved aggression. Our species, right from the years of the caveman era, has enjoyed the blood rush of anger, the adrenaline gush from the fury and the kick from striking fear in others' hearts. Deep inside everyone's body, there is always this switch that can twitch your senses up to high alert, get you up and eager, focusing your intense concentration at a place immediately - Aggression.

We make spiders fight each other in match boxes. We watch crickets fight in glass jars. We cheer when roosters peck each other blind in fighting pens. We don't get satisfied till we see one of the two fighting dogs sink their jaws into the other's neck. We boast about the fighting fish that never lost a fight, tainting the water red with the weaker's blood.

Tickets sales record are made when Liverpool plays Manchester United. Simply because we know these two teams will play extra hard. We know the fans will cheer extra loud. We know something controversial always happen - players would lash a kick at rival fans, someone would spit at the rival manager, a team might just surround a referee and abuse him, rival fans could start a riot in the stands. And we love watching it happen.

We love to see artistes going for each other's neck - remember the Slim10 lawsuit? We would either sit back and enjoy the outcome, smiling away. Or we would take sides and show our support. Join in the aggression, and still love watching it happen.

Here's a reason why no one should be walking away from this gang. Here's a reason why the people in this gang should never try to be hurtful to one another. Here's a reason why no one in the gang has the right to show bad attitude and be pissed about anything. And I'll tell you why:

This gang is different. Like a pack of wolves, a herd of elephants, a flock of geese - we don't fight our own. Some of us handle it better than the rest, but we should always try to perfect it. Increasing the volume is body language for "Shut up and submit to me." Showing a black face and walking away alone is challenging "Damn, I need better company." And we all know who have been guilty of these actions.

We all have, at times.

But, we need to outgrow it. See, life never stops. We are all moving on so rapidly that it makes secondary school days seems so long ago, painfully long at times. We meet like 4 times a year, and it doesn't help if we want to be aggressive every time we meet. There is no "top dog" within us. We don't need a proper, defined "leader". There is no lead actors or supporting actresses. Everyone shares the pole position, and everyone shares the limelight.

J.Lim winces and frowns in pain whenever there is a dispute within. Mui lowers her glance silently, confused and concerned. Lun will plead in his mind for peace to return quickly. Mak tries to diffuse the conflict by being the fool. Chay comes in with one-liners to attract some anger to himself with the intent to ease the tension. These are some examples, but of course, everyone in the group has their own way to contribute. And I must say, we should be glad that no one is standing around and cheering. No one is adding fuel to the fire and trying to fan the flames.

That, is reason enough, I hope.

We don't need a leader in the group to lead us in the right direction. We all know where that is. Knowing Lun's primary school index number, the date Rong hurt herself and Yu's street number is a step in the right direction. All that selflessness of HJ and Rong getting breakfast for everyone else is another. Volunteering pots and pans from her own home is just how Yin has made her contribution to the right direction too. Driving home those bulky items and storing them in her own home is Peg steering in too. See?

Say NO to aggression. If you FRIEND, don't FIGHT. If you see any aggressive articles, please inform M.Jay, or call "Mak, Mak, Mak".

Remember, you don't need to see Mak gone in a dragon boating accident before this gang can get together again. Cherish this friendship. You never know when it might be gone forever.

M.Jay
(who else writes this long?)