In Search of Excellence...

Here's a question for you: What do you wake up every morning for?

Fast-forward a few months: I am an MBA student, married and living in Los Angeles. It's quite interesting seeing as at the time of my last blog entry, I was single (engaged), employed and living in Cairo. Quite a transformation!

During managerial economics class the other day, we were discussing the concept of economic profit vs. normal profit. Somehow, this discussion reminded me of where I was and where I am now - my own normal vs. economic profit.

I feel alive again. It's not because I am out of Egypt, not because I am out here in the States. It's because I'm finally challenging myself. Exposed to these new challenges, it has dawned upon me that I have been residing at the far left of an "easy" bell curve instead of finding myself in the middle of a "tough" bell curve and then try to make it to the left. This very much echos some of the themes from my earlier blog entry about My Thoughts on Thoughts.

Back in 2004, when this whole journey started on a December night at Sherif Bishr's home, I didn't expect that I could make it here. I had built-in obstacles such a steep financial hurdle. For three years, I'd been juggling building a life and pursuing my dreams. The remarkable part is not that I'm at the gates of my dreams now. What's even more remarkable is what I found in my way: a person with whom I can share this dream along with the rest of my life.

So what's the point of all this? I would like to avoid the question of divinity in this whole matter, since every time I bring it up, side arguments ensue. Instead, I just want to say something lame but very true: it's less about what you achieve, more about what you try to achieve. It's what you try that makes you extraordinary (this message is specifically targeted to my friend who's worried because he's hit 24 without winning the Nobel prize).

Just another side point... I guess a lot of my coming blog entries will about my experiences with people during my time in LA. As a starter, I just want to confirm what I've been preaching all along to all those skeptics: people here are no different than people back home in Egypt. They have the same desires, needs, fears and aspirations.

At any rate, I have to stop here. I have some self-challenging to do. What are YOU going to do when you're done reading?

Get Your Car out of My Way!

If someone double parks his/her car in a crowded street and you happen to be driving in that lane, how would you feel towards them? You may park right behind them and sound your horn until they move; you may drive by and give them a look. Or maybe you will do nothing at all... but you certainly wouldn't be very happy about it.

Now imagine that you need to go into a store for just one minute to pick up something. The store so happens to be in a crowded street and you can't find parking space. Would you double park your car? Most probably... you'll just tell yourself that "it will be a minute."

Sometimes actions are classified as right and wrong depending on who took the action. Sometimes actions are right simply because I or the group to which I belong took those actions.

We're all guilty of this. Let me give some common examples of how subjective right and wrong can be:

Pre-marital sex in eastern socities like hours:

• When a guy does it: he was a player before marriage but now he's straightened out
• When a girl does it: she's a whore

Smoking in public:

• When a guy does it: he's a smoker (perhaps an addict)
• When a girl does it: she's a whore

Walking down a street at 3:00 AM in the morning alone

• When a guy does it: he's just having a walk
• When a girl does it: she's trying to get picked-up because she's a whore

When someone laughs out loud in a public place

• When it's not you or your group: They're vulgar people!
• When it's you or your group: We're having a good time

When someone dies and a street is blocked to set-up Soradeq for funeral and Quran-reading

• When it's someone dear to you: People should understand our grief
• When it's someine else: Does grief justify inconveniencing others?

When Ahly wins a championship and fans block the streets in celebration

• If you're an Ahly fan: We have every right to celebrate
• If you're a Zamalek fan: Come on, don't block the streets. What if an ambulance needs to pass through?

When a waiter is being discourteous at a restaurant

• If you give them a hard time: You're demanding service excellence as a customer
• If someone else gives them a hard time: They're just being difficult

Examples are endless.

Whether you believe in an absolute or not, right and wrong should remain objective. Why? At the risk of oversimplifying life, I dare say that we, as humans, seek the same things and, more importantly, are hurt by the same things. We spend too much time judging others and their actions and very little time judging ourselves and own actions. If we all spend a little more time putting ourselves in other people's shoes, our disputes as humans would be subdued. And if we fail to develop a perspective, we should then resort to some tolerance.

So the next time you hear the neighbour's stereo playing so loud, play your's at a lower volume when you turn it on!

One Size Fits One Size!

If you go to buy socks, you will find that there are some types that are labeled: one size fits all. I bought one of those the other day, but it turned out to be too big. Naturally, this got me thinking: how can the socks producers claim that one size fits all?

In my mind, claiming that one size of socks fits all requires that the socks be tried on all sizes of feet. If any foot size fails the test, then the basic premise of "one size fits all" fails. Seems to be simple enough, right?

So what about those people who insist that one size fits all even though I've tried it and I'm sure it doesn't fit me? Proud of having acquired the "one size" sock, they point at my feet and say, "it fits... you just think it doesn't!" So supposedly, I should believe them and ignore how I feel about the sock, right? In fact, I'm not really believing them... I'm believing the sock producer who made the sock in any size then programmed these people to believe that one sock really does fit all. Bearing into consideration that this claim plays directly into the interest of the sock producer, I have problems believing in their objectivity towards the "one size fits all" premise.

Let's pursue this further... As I said, in order to make sure that a sock fits all sizes, it must be tested on a representative sample of the human race. The question is: how many people would you have to have to test a sock to make sure all foot sizes and shapes are represented in the sample? Seems to me to an impossible sample to create - probably not the approach sock producers follow. The more likely scenario is that they use an elastic material which expands to wrap the exact size of the foot. Brilliant, eh? But then what happens a year later? If my little brother (don't have one actually) tries to wear my elastic sock, it won't fit because over time, it would have lost part of its elasticity to the shape of my own adult foot. It is probably safe to say that no sock can absolutely fit all sizes of feet at any given moment in time. It is probably safe to say that despite the fact that we may wear same sizes of socks, each person has one size which fits them exactly - but we choose to go with a close match to simplify life.

So until a sock has been tried on ALL human feet continuously for a century or so, I will not accept that one size fits all. As far as I am concerned, "one size fits all" is a myth that has not existed anywhere except in the minds of people brainwashed by sock producers. I don't even think sock producers believe it.

Oh, and in case you're concerned with where this blog is going, our next article is NOT about underwear!

Image courtesy of Hippie Shop

الضوء يغمرني

لا أدعي علماً بحياة الآحرين، ولكن أغلب الظن أنها لا تختلف كثيراً عن حياتي، والأهم أننا متيقن أن حياتك أنتِ هي حياتي ذاتها

أتعلمين كيف نظل عمرنا كله نبحث عن ذلك الضوء؟ نلمحه على بعدِ فنجري وراءه فقط ليتبين لنا أن الضوء الذي نسعى خلفه أخفت من أن يضيئ حياتنا؟ أتذكرين كيف نبدأ الرحلة من جديد، نركض ونتوقف ونسترق السمع، نتوتر حينما نرى ضوئين في وقتِ واحد فلا نعلم في أي اتجاه نركض؟ أتشعرين بذلك اللهاث الذي يثقل من أرواحنا فنمضي في حياتنا نركض بخطىًَ بطيئة متثاقلة؟

أعرف أنك تعرفين

ثم هل تعرفين كيف يغمرنا الضوء فجأة، دون ترتيب سابق، دون تخطيط؟ أتعلمين كيف يتبدل اللهاث بالراحة، البرد بالدفء؟ الماضي بالمستقبل؟ هل تدركين معى الإدراك، الإدراك بأن رحلة البحث قد انتهت وانتهت آلامها؟

أرجو أن تكوني قد أدركت ما أدركته

لقد حانت لحظتي، لحظة أن يغمرني الضوء، وقد أدركت أن هذا الضوء باقٍ للأبد

هل تشعرين بالضوء يغمرك مثلي؟