Wednesday, September 26, 2012

CONTINUOUS WRITING SAMPLE FOR SPM

FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSE ONLY. HOPEFULLY MANY WILL BENEFIT.
NOT FOR COMMERCIAL USE.

T O M O R R O W


What comes to mind when the word "tomorrow" is uttered? Do you think of hope, that further advancements made tomorrow would better our lives? Or do you think of despair, and the darkness that shrouds the unfathomable future? Or maybe some of you might perceive "tomorrow" as just another day, uneventful and tedious.
You may call me a pessimist for I nearly always attribute negative feelings to the word "tomorrow". To me, that word is merely a substitute for another word: "procrastination". How many times when something is requested from someone, they wriggle their way out of the job by simply muttering "tomorrow"? That is word is like a spell for Harry Potter to be used for avoiding mediocre tasks. Experience has taught me that when someone mentions "tomorrow", it would best to try it yourself.

Besides simple procrastination, the "T" word is also often used by the government's telecommunication company in their customer-relations sector. I have phoned in countless times to request for technical assistance as my modem keeps breaking down, and their response would frequently sounds like "we'll look into it tomorrow" or "we'll send a technician over tomorrow". However, tomorrow comes but their technician is nowhere to be seen. There is even a joke that explains why they are now registered as "TM". It stands for "Tomorrow, Maybe".


Moreover, doesn't it frustrate you when you lounge around all day and promise yourself that you will get that important thing done tomorrow, and when tomorrow comes you find you telling yourself the same sentence as yesterday? It certainly frustrated me, for I could never find the will power to begin my History revision until Sunday (the History exam was, yes you guessed it, TOMORROW). Believe me, the word "panic" with an additional understatement as I scrambled to gather my notes into my overcrowded brain.

Needless to say, I took my history exam looking like Atilla the Hun, a Viking warlord from the Dark Ages with a hairstyle that would make Albert Einstein feel very neat. My failure was due to my lack of discipline, but like all other teenagers, I find it easier to blame everyone and everything but myself. My scapegoat this time was the word "tomorrow" in the context of procrastination.


Bear with me dear reader, for I am about to indulge myself in the following of what the world would be like if "tomorrow" was never in our vocabulary. Well, the most obvious outcome would be NOT failing my History but let us delve deeper and explore all possible angles, such as the economic impacts and social life.

      Father: Hey, son. I think you'd better start studying.
      Son    : "Aiya", tomorrow! Astro Channel 30 is very 
                  interesting!

Without the context of procrastination firmly embedded in our minds, the dialogue would become something like this:

      Father: Hey son, I think you'd better start studying.
      Son    : Study? I've done 2 hours of History and 3 hours
                  of Physics!

It goes without saying, that "son" would almost certainly ace his examinations, go on to get a good job, and contribute to society, thus elevating Malaysia to giddy heights and ensuring continuous progress. However, there are negative implications too should the word "tomorrow" never appear.


 Allow me to be the devil's advocate and point out that our economy would tumble if "tomorrow" was never invented. There is a bad side of procrastination that is always highlighted by the media, but there are always to sides to everything. For example, there is a proverb that goes "good things come to those who wait". We have to learn to delay our immediate wants, and by dictionary definition, isn't delaying a task defined as "procrastination"? Furthermore, if there was no "tomorrow", nobody would think to save for a rainy day. Banks would be non-existent.


In a nutshell, the word "tomorrow" is open to many interpretations. I have merely covered one aspect of "tomorrow", and although my essay may be lengthy and tiresome, there are still many more aspects to cover. As previously written, the "T" word may mean hope to some and despair to others. It is up to you, dear reader, to think and develop your own opinion about the famous word.

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