days of yore.

I had to write an essay for "What is one event that has changed your life?".
I chose to remember Odyssey of the Mind. 

I wasn't always the way I am now. 

In Primary 4, I was anti-social: I didn't talk to people - in family gatherings and Sunday school I preferred keeping to myself. Teachers thought there was something wrong with me. My parents thought I was an introverted daydreamer. My friends were mainly from school - we were a small bunch who usually kept to ourselves. The word “people-person” could not be ascribed to me at all. 

Then, one of my teachers who saw promise in my creative thinking encouraged me to join Odyssey of the Mind – a creative problem-solving competition. It incorporated elements of drama, extroverted presentation and teamwork. I didn’t know what to think, or whether to believe if this teacher had judged me correctly. It seemed so unorthodox and moreover, it was out of my comfort zone. Nevertheless, I was fond of this teacher. He was inspiring and cared for his students, and never excluded me despite my withdrawn nature. I decided to give it a shot. 

It was one of the best decisions I have ever made. 

My team members were mostly extroverted, a wild bunch of people filled with eccentricity and, yet, there was something extremely welcoming about them. They made me feel comfortable in opening up, and welcome amongst the extroversion. Most of all, they let out the dreamer within – the character, who usually hid coyly behind the face of a quiet boy, found its place to shine in an environment which encouraged such out-of-the-box thinking. 

In the months of our preparation, radical ideas were discussed. Our skit was moulded, kneaded and continuously being rebuilt and recast. I quickly grew fond of the entire operation and allowed myself to be whole-heartedly absorbed into the process. Very soon, I was no longer the meek boy who walked soundlessly down corridors; once class ended, I ran, skipped even, all the way to the room where we would once again work on our project. Despite all the hours burnt in that little room, none of them felt like a waste of time. Even when the competition drew closer, and we had to stay past the usual ending time of other CCAs, we emerged from that room each night, tired but with a smile. 

In addition to giving me an atmosphere where I felt at home and discovered myself to greater depths, Odyssey of the Mind exposed me to a world far beyond what I ever expected to experience as a Primary school student. Having done well in the Nationals competition, we were given an opportunity to participate in the World Finals held in Boulder, Colorado, USA. Before I took part in this competition, my outlook on life was not far from any typical hardworking student – “I must work hard and have good character to live life well.” I thought decent people must have this attitude, and that was how the world worked. But upon arrival at Colorado, I met a wide range of international students. Through this experience, I met people with different cultures, points of view and outlooks on life. I realized how little I actually knew of the whole world, and was amazed by the short glimpse of what I was fortunately allowed to see. I was excited, encouraged and enlightened. I had never seen people in such a beautiful light, all coming together from many places, for a single purpose – to express themselves in great zest and with great passion. 

Odyssey of the Mind played a pivotal role in shaping me. When I look back, I can barely imagine any other way that small quiet boy could become the confident outspoken character that I see myself to be today. It taught me how to be a team player from working alone, how to think out of the box instead of thinking conventionally, and how to find strength in myself in place of meekness. Most of all, the experience cultivated my passion for the arts and moreover, let me discover myself.