Sledgehammer

The Voice. It’s the only singing contest that I look upon as a legitimate channel for real talent to shine because it disregards looks (and size!) and recognizes pure vocal talent.

Every weekend, I hang on to every word that each mentor-judge says because they are all accomplished artists themselves. And it’s interesting how each one of them brings forth critiques to their team members without sounding too patronizing or too uncaring.

One comment from Gerard Salonga, brother of renowned international singer Lea Salonga, caught my attention.

He said that we don’t try to open  a candy wrapper with a sledge hammer. Lea promptly picked up on that too and agreed.

There are times when it’s better not to break the rules or some set of conditions. Unfortunately some people want to rise above the “law” or “rule” to be noticed or to stand out in a crowd.

Last week on TV, I saw how squatters in a local area in Manila were forcibly moved out of their houses. This caused tempers to flare up and bedlam ensued. Even if we say these people are stubborn and “violators” and we want to create order and make right the rule of the land, we can’t achieve a peaceful resolution if we bulldoze our way through obstacles. Can’t we just stop and talk a while (to borrow the lyrics of a Jose Mari Chan song) instead as this can open insensitive hearts more easily like a candy wrapper instead of ramming hard at them?

Here’s another practical and simple example that I know women can relate to.

We make a lot of fuss when our husband or boyfriend does not act the gentleman by helping us in any way like, helping to carry our packages, opening doors for us, asking us how we are feeling, giving us compliments, etc. Such is our frustration that we sulk, thrash things around and stop talking to them. When we’re asked if we’re angry or if there’s anything wrong, we answer flippantly, “No. Is there something I should be angry about?” Husband or boyfriend says “Ok”. End of story? No. We continue to sulk, thrash things around and stop talking to them until we end up fighting with our partners.

Why can’t we just tell our men what we want—dish it out straight and clear what we want that will make us happy — recognition, support, compliments etc and not lash out at them for not doing it.  Simple voicing out …simple unwrapping of a candy. No need to use the sledgehammers of anger and violence.

Back to The Voice, the contestant who belted out a song using an intricate vocal technique was berated mildly that he need not do it as the song was already a classic in itself.

Creativity is an art. It is a great channel of expression but sometimes we need not do anything big to make people notice that we do have the skill especially in dealing with things that are already stand-outs as they are like a classic song, a celebrated masterpiece or a traditional attire.

Why do we need to embellish  things that are already acceptable to many when we can simply follow the set rules?

The sad thing is that people tend to be stubborn and inexplicable. We make simple things complicated as well as try hard to simplify that which nature has ordained as  complicated.

Back to the practical examples. If my hair is curly, I’d like to straighten it out and if it’s already straight, I’d spend money to make it curly. At the end of the day, I will find my hair damaged with the constant changing when I could have just  left it  as it was.

The moral of the statement ” Don’t try to open  a candy wrapper with a sledge hammer” is be satisfied, obedient and respectful to the status quo.

Our teeth can open a candy wrapper. Why resort to a sledgehammer which is heavy? Let’s not complicate what is already a complicated world. Live simply, gently, peacefully.

Now back to watching The Voice.