Challenge Accepted

One of my dreams as a teen was to meet a1.  They were my favorite band ever; and Ben Adams was my first love.  He didn’t know it though.  I only met him in my dreams, literally.  I actually listened to them 3x a day.  Because I remember in one of their interviews, Ben said we should listen to their songs 3x a day to feel close to them.  So I was ecstatic when I saw posters of a1 displayed on lamp posts on my way home one day from school.  Tickets were not on sale.  Rather, they were to be won in a contest.  Call 1800-MyMusic and answer a multiple choice question.  If you get it right, you get a chance to win two tickets to the a1 concert.  Calling 1800 numbers back in 2002 was considered a long distance call which was very expensive.  I called the number everyday, and our phone bill racked up to almost Php 3,000 which meant I called approximately 150 times (if cost per minute of long distance call was Php 20) within a span of one month.

Amazingly, I won thrice.  I got a total of 6 tickets.  I didn’t know any other friend who was a fan so I invited my mom, my dad, an auntie, and our maid to join me to the concert.  I still had 1 spare ticket, but it’s okay.  It was supposed to be one of the happiest days of my life.

Right after class, I went straight to NBC Tent in Fort.  There was a huge line before me already.  Then I saw one of the organizers choosing girls who were raising their hands.  I didn’t know for what reason.  But I saw those girls leaving their line and just entering the concert hall.  And so I raised my hand, and to my surprise she chose me!  

I wiggled my way through the crowd to the organizer.  She told me to enter the hall and sit in the front row.  Then my ultimate dream was about to happen.  A camera man came over and asked me to say my message to a1.  I asked, will a1 really see it?  And he said yes. Gosh. It’s my chance to talk to a1.  It was a dream come true.  

There was a problem.  I didn’t know what to say.

My camera shyness also did not help.

What happened next became one of the most embarrassing moments of my life.

The words I uttered were just, “I love you Ben.”  Two times of that, and then “I love you” and mentioned each of the other a1 band members so that they wouldn’t feel left out.  It was neither witty, creative, nor memorable.  I just sounded like a die hard fan that could scare Ben away.  What a first message to a1.  What added to my embarrassment was that this message was shown on MTV as well.  (Back then when there was slooooow internet, MTV was a huge thing.)  The whole concert including my message was replayed on MTV.  More than once.  

For weeks, I beat myself up for not saying things properly and wasting such perfect opportunity.  I learned speaking in front of a crowd or a camera was a weakness of mine and I needed to work on that.  This made me take classes, double the effort when I do presentations, prepare in advance what I have to say, etc.  This experience pushed me to work on my shy self.  

But there’s more (and I feel more important).  I actually gained a new perspective, particularly on viewing problems.  When I was much younger, around 12, having a bad day would mean having a problem or two.  I would count my problems and then become sad for the rest of the day if I had a problem.  I hated problems, even small problems.  They were unnecessary.  

      This event with a1 was actually the first time I realized problems could actually be an opportunity for me to stretch, to learn, and to grow.  Problems are challenges wrapped in ugly, stressful packaging.  Having to carry  such a horrendous package is always painful and burdensome..  at first.  But once God reveals to us, the precious treasure (may be an opportunity, a life lesson, a build up on character, etc.)  inside this packaging,  we might just be revamped to version 2.0.  

Version 2.0 may appear in different forms.  Some relational problems may cause us to experience and appreciate God’s love more.  Some conflicts may reveal us of our sins and bring us to repentance.  Problems in business may teach us to depend on God. Health issues may lead us to appreciate our families more.  Mishaps may remind us of our finiteness, and the thorns of this world may remind us that this world is not my home.  Problems can actually be blessings in disguise.

How about you?  Are you experiencing any problem lately?  Perhaps, it is time to redefine it as a challenge.