GBWC: About Half Empty or Half Full

Recently, I had a rather long and interesting chat with a young man. To be more specific, a young plastic modeling enthusiast.

I was trying to figure out how the young's, or the newcomers', point of view on how the recent years of Bandai's Gunpla competition being pretty much dominated by the veterans or, in other words, the old timers.

Not to my biggest surprise, which I kinda expected, these veterans  have been viewed as obstacles, demotivating factor, etc; instead of inspiration.

After being talked to a number of similar persons, not matter how much I would love to disagree, how I want them to know we are here more to help than to compete, there's one thing I guess I could not deny. This s probably, not all maybe, but majority of how people think. Dont get me wrong, the responses I got were not of any negativity . What I mean is the general mind set of this new generation.

During my years, people I looked up to, serve more like an inspiration to me. Even during competition time, they could be vaguely be considered as an "obstacle", but most of the time, they were more like a "challenge". See, "obstacle" is something that block our way to destination. "Challenge" is more of a thing we proactively seek for in order to reach our goal or destination. Although both pretty much do the same thing, triggers the same action or reaction, the view point being more negative to positive is the thing that gots me ponder deeply.

Some may say "Kids nowadays...." bla bla bla, to me, this is exactly the thing got me thinking. If the attitude towards these people is more negative to positive; my point is: does this kinda attitude brings more positive or negative results to the modeling scene. Well, at least over here in Malaysia?

Every era and generation has its own way of dealing with issues, and i believe, none of them is the same. Probably the only thing that is constant, to force a new generation to use back the old generation way of solving problems: it will fail.

One might say to his younger generation, "Do you know, last time my father used to......."; with a sense of pride and arrogance. However, one step backward, beyond what u think u have achieve and become, how much difference u are than what your old man expected you to be?

Now, look at the new generation.

When I told some of  my friends of my generation that someone actually said that to me face, "....good lor.... give us newbie some chance la....." I could see the disgusted expression all over their faces. No matter how much I tried to explain that the person who said that was trying to give a compliment to me. No doubt, there shows the mentality, but what I value

more is the intention of trying to give a compliment. He wasn't trying to see me as a hindrance; he's not, it is already deeply tattooed into him. This is his generation of rational.

Most of all, he didnt mean bad. He sounded as sincere as he could, just that his mentality is not the easiest thing to be accepted by many old timers. Well, generation gap.

Maybe some might think my decision makes me looks like I am one cocky old fart, but I would rather open up and try something that I think might help the community. Well I dont agree to it, but I believe there s a certain possibility it might work.

The glass is half empty or half full? The person next to you might have a totally different POV from you; but it doesn't make him wrong.