Movie Ticket Stub

Different people have different ways of looking at life. Forrest Gump's mom told him life's like a box of chocolates and that we never knew what we are going to get. (Just give me any chocolates, I take them all, black, white, with almonds, with raisins, with alcohol, etc.)

To a certain extent, we can liken our encounter with others as a transaction. The exchange of ideas, thoughts, feelings, emotions, passion is a transactions. Sometimes you get a receipt in the form of a movie ticket stub. Some people stick the stubs in their diaries. Some people just get rid of them on the way out of of the theatre. Some like me will keep everything (movie ticket stubs included) until I have too much and I have to start throwing things away.

To be true, the movie ticket stubs can help bring back memory. Do you remember we watched this together? I remember the 20+ of us went to see the first installment of the Chronicles of Narnia together? (I presume no one remembers I almost had to go watch another movie because one of us decided to invite a friend at the last minute.) Some people can retain the memory without the aid of the movie ticket stub.

Way before the movie ticket stub became an object that triggers memory, it is a pass to get into the theatre. With the advance in technology, we no longer have to get behind the long queue to get our tickets. We still can do that. But we now have options to book the tickets online, via SMS or even a phone call. Then we are given a time to pick up the tickets. This indeed is unfair to the faithful queuers. I experienced this first hand when I arrived rather late in Singapore one Sunday night. There was a long queue at the Harbourfront Centre. I took my place in the queue with my notebook and luggage in tow. I noticed many people call taxis and got their taxis almost immediately while squares like me waited in the queue. It too me more than 1 hour to get on the taxi to go to my hotel.

Was it fair? Perhaps not. But those who called for taxi (and jumping ahead of all others) paid extra. Ok, what about those who book movie tickets? They didn't pay extra.

Let's get back to the movie tickets scenario. Was it fair to the people queuing up that they could not get their tickets? If the tickets are sold out and we could get some tickets (good seats no less) because those who booked did not pick them up, we'd probably be very happy. Was it fair for the tickets? It's paid for, either by the people who booked it or the old faithfuls who waited for a miracle in front of the counter. Either way, the tickets serve their purpose of bringing people entertainment they seek.

What if the tickets were not picked up by those who book and no one bought it from the counter? Well, then there would be empty seats in the show. Not every show is full house. This is life.

This is reality. We may not like it. The tickets, which get paid will have no say over whether it is fair to them or not.

This is a free market, there is a willing buyer and a willing seller. We use our skills, talents, time and labour to exchange salary for our living. (And when we give to God, it's such a wonderful thing. Remember, he owns everything. We are keeping 90% of what He gave for ourselves. We don't give him 10% of what we have.) There are many things we can do. The most blessed people are those who are doing what they enjoy, followed closely by those who enjoy what they do. These two groups of people may should similar but there is a fine line between them. The 1st group of people found something they like doing, The 2nd group learned to love what they do.

There are others who don't like what they do. There are some who don't even get to do anything not that they don't want to.

If we are unfortunate enough not to fall under the 1st group, then at the very least let's try to belong to the 2nd group.

Whatever it is, our principals should not be compromised.

In most things, it's always easier said than done. There is no exception here.

So, what are you going to do about it?

p.s. I am one of the poor souls who have not watched the Transformers movie. That ticket stub is not mine.