It was just after exams in school. I think I was in Form 4. The teachers had no idea what to teach and thus resorted to giving us extended recess and left us alone pretty much for the whole day. It's been a whole week and we were all bored like hell.

Previously during the 'after exam' season where we are left to our own devices we will find a committee member of the computer club (normally one of the gang) to open up the computer room and we start playing games. ( I guess that is where I started to develop my LAN gaming habit) but unfortunately due to some 'unforseen' circumstances none of us had access to the computer room anymore ( even, the club was forcible disbanded .. more on that someday).

The whole gang was sitting at the school pavilion, Siriuz was wolfing down his usual bread and sausages while Arc was on some weird all nuts diet. Magnus was as usual regaling us with tales from the dark side (his class). Suddenly someone suggested that we skip school and head to the nearest arcade.

Now this was at the time that the arcade game 'D&D : Shadows Over Mystara' has obtained cult status amongs us. It was also the time when games like "Marvel vs Capcom" were the new in-thing. To sweeten the deal, we even planned to stop by the comic store on the way there. The temptation was very strong indeed.

Everyone got ready to cut school. I mean why not ? Nothing was being taught in schools, the teachers are more busy with their 'meetings' (having tea) and school was getting very boring.
The school field was packed full and the furthest corner has turned into a casino of sorts where the more colourful personalities in the school gather. The school prefects wisely stay away from that area, probably Mugeelan was there. He was the guy in school infamous for whacking someone with a lead pipe, we always imagined him as a pipe weilding Darth Vader-esque character. I heard that he died a few years back in a gangfight. Ok , I am digressing.

Everyone got ready and met up in the pavilion .. and then it happened. I chickened out. I suddenly realised that I was about to cut school for the first time and got scared. The guys looked at me with such dissapointment when I told them I'm not going. I watched them march across the school field occasionally jumping over people rolling on the floor.

That moment left such an impact on me , it's been more than 10 years but I can still see the image of them walking towards freedom. It was just so cool .. and I wasn't a part of it.
Now that I have grown up I realised that I should have gone with them. Yes it would have been 'wrong' because I would have been cutting school but when I look back at what I did for the whole day (sitting alone in the pavilion) .. It was a totally wasted day and until today I still regret my descision.

I realise now that it is extremly easy to fall into the trap of following the masses and do the 'right' thing but sometimes it's just not the best thing for you. I missed out on a great adventure that day. Life is something brief and precious, we shouldn't waste it doing pointless things. I realise now that there is more to life than doing all the safe things and following what everyone does. So to sum it up , I learned an important lesson that day ...

Take some risks, live life a bit. Carpe diem.