Of the Replacements
Never a sportsman myself.I know,most girls like guys with muscles big enough to rival the size of their heads.Oh well,i guess im a little influenced by my sister.She hates guys with big muscles,oddly.Perhaps its the image of oiled up men in tights on the stage flexing their bowling ball sized muscles that turned her off.Whatever it is,i was never a sportsman.

Therefore,its hard to understand how it feels like to be a bench player.I joined basketball as a ECA(It was called ECA back then)when i was in Primary School.I suck at basketball really,and instead of playing the ball it hits me most of the time.I couldnt shoot very well,not to mention layups.I joined halfway through a school year,so everybody had a head start.Oh well,i hated it anyway.The trainings all the way till 5pm was definitely not something a Primary School kid could tolerate.

The big day came for the little basketball players.The "Day of the Jerseys".Basically,the teacher in charge asked all the players to assemble inside the PE department storeroom where the balls and bats were,and from a big basket he handed out the jerseys.I didnt go in really,since i didnt expect to be in the team.However,no matter how obvious the situation is turning out to be,there's always a little spark of hope at the back of my mind that i might perhaps see my name and number on one of the jerseys.Well,the basket was emptied and my name was not called.Standing by the window and seeing my fellow team members cheering and laughing over their clean and new jerseys,i felt pretty bad for myself.Oh well,its all expected.

That was perhaps the closest ive felt like i was a bench player.As time went by and im not an 18 year old guy,that incident doesnt bother me anymore.In fact,im thinking "Thank god im not in the team".Back then,winning a national championship meant nothing more than some cash price,and a statue of a naked golden man with a basketball in his hand.Now,seeing the rugby team or the basketball team earning their places in the national championships is the real deal.Bench players,or the replacements,are often seen as "Extras".Like the "Passer-By A" in a Hollywood movie,the play a small role in the team.Oh,perhaps being the WaterBoy or the Camera Boy.Yeah,ive seen players doing tasks like that.Isnt it sad,that your fellow teammates are up there playing and battling it out while you are on the bench throughout the game,perhaps a whole tournament and never gets a chance to actually play?Its a sad thing,to know that you are physically in a team but not mentally.

At 18 years old,everybody around me has built up a social circle that's perhaps so solid its unbreakable.Sometimes,one might just feel like a replacement in a team.This person might seem close to you,and he/she calls you a friend.They might treat you a little more than just friends sometimes,but thats that.The seats of "Best Friends" are already taken in his/her life are already taken,and its impossible to squeeze yourself onto that ride no matter how hard you try.Then you start to wonder why he/she seems to friendly to you in the first place,since nothing is ever going to happen.There are people in his/her life that are so important,that no matter what you do now,its not going to change the place you take in his/her mind,because you are second in priority compared to those luckier people who met him/her earlier.

You just feel like a replacement.You cant help it.In a foreign and unfriendly environment,you cant help but to grab a replacement sometimes.To have somebody in company is after all,better than no one.So that bench player is in sight,and you just grab him/her to be your friend.That replacement thinks he/she gets a chance to be in the team,maybe a chance to play in a game.A little "Social" game.But in your heart,you know this replacement you just grabbed will never really replace anybody.This innocent replacement player hangs around with you,until one day he realises that he's gonna remain as a replacement in your life.

Not everybody ends up like Keanu Reeves' character in The Replacements.From a bench player to the star player of the team.After all,its Hollywood.Being the waterboy all the time is just plain tiring.You just want to be part of the game,perhaps score a goal or two.Too bad all the players are more experienced than you are.

In the game of "Social Circles",whoever makes a mark first wins.Whoever comes in late,remains late and never replaces the star players.The worse thing is,even when the star player has a limb broken,he wont be replaced.

Song of the Moment---Victoria by John Mayer(Since i just learnt it)