Writings from the past

Found this article that I had written (just for fun) in 2004 after finishing Junior College...

INERTIA AND FORCE

Inertia (noun): the reluctance of an object to stop moving when it is in motion or to start moving when it is stationary.

It is strangely coincidental how a word so commonly used in the study of physics is actually so predominant in our daily lives. Yet it is highly ironic that while so many of us may be able to identify this occurrence when answering physics questions, so few of us really recognise how much impact it has in our social lives.

Imagine this scenario: you are flipping through the pages of your secondary school autograph book when you suddenly come across the page contributed by a very close friend of yours. As the memories flood back into your mind, you realise how long it has been since you spoke to this friend of yours. Yet, you hesitate to give him or her a call. A little voice at the back of your head says, “it’ll be so awkward” or “maybe next time when I have more time”; and you obey that voice.

That voice, whether you want to acknowledge it or not, is inertia at work. So often, we get caught up in the nitty gritty details of our hectic lives. We unknowingly become so used to rushing around and getting things done that we are reluctant to stop and focus on something that is very much closer to our hearts: friends.

The very people with whom we once played catch, the people who stood by us when we felt low and vulnerable, the people with whom we shared so many highs and lows, happy and sad, wacky and crazy times. I think it is such a pity that so many friendships casually die off because inertia becomes too powerful to overcome. I feel sad that even during gatherings, some people cannot turn up or do not bother to because inertia is so overbearing in their lives. It’s like driving on an expressway without wearing a seat belt: we become aware of inertia only when the driver is thrown through the windscreen upon a sudden stop. Similarly, by the time we become aware of this inertia in our social lives, more often than not the damage is already done.

But as in physics, inertia can be overcome by the introduction of a force in the correct direction. A force is a push or a pull exerted to change the state of an object. If exerted on a stationary object for example, the force can allow the object overcome its reluctance to move.

I have a lot of respect for those who are able to create this force and propel themselves to overcome inertia. They are able to gain strength from the thought that the goodness which comes out of maintaining that friendship is worth the extra effort. They try continually, ever so determined to bring back remnants of those good old memories. I salute them for their tremendous efforts and their faith in the human spirit.

We tackle physics questions concerning inertia and forces with apparent ease. Let us one day be able to tackle our social problems regarding these same two concepts with that same kind of ease. Let not a simple misstep on our part tear down years of friendship and love.