Somewhere along Jalan Larut in Penang, a large signboard displays the word "IMPACT" at the top of its building.

Initially, I assumed it was an advertising agency.

Curious, I followed the signboard - and it led me to the Georgetown Baptist Church!

On their website, a confident declaration: “We believe that all of us can make an impact, one life at a time.”

It is a brilliant concept.

Something Paul himself would have approved if he were composing his epistles today.

So, what are some of the things that have impacted me? And you?

Much like all of us, I have been impacted by people, places, events, and experiences.

These have left indelible marks on my life.

If you grew up in the 1980s, you might remember this TV show called "3-2-1 Contact".

Created by the same team behind "The Electric Company," this series was designed to spark interest in science among young viewers.

They very cleverly used a mix of comedy sketches, cartoons, and demonstrations to teach scientific concepts way before the term “infotainment” was coined.

Looking back, it was impressive how a simple educational show could impact and inspire students toward a love of science.

I could do school again!

Football's impact on me?

It's been one heck of a ride, and I wouldn't have it any other way!

Just last week, I was in Kuala Lumpur, for the Battle of the Reds Legends match between Manchester United and Liverpool.

Some forty years ago, my friends and I would regularly go down for these games.

This time though I had my son and a few nephews for company. The times may have changed. But the song remains the same.

It was a dream come true to see some of the star players from my youth in person. To see the opponents miss open sitters was even more fun!

Belting out a heart-rending performance of "You'll Never Walk Alone" alongside thousands of other Liverpool fans at the end remains a standout moment.

It served as a reminder that victory isn't the only thing that matters, that belonging to a greater cause, a dream, a vision, of something to aspire to, even in the most challenging times, remains valid.

Probably because I left home in my early twenties, I found solace, companionship, and camaraderie among total strangers who became my surrogate family.

Hence, before and after the Legends football match, a few of us met up for some RnR, one of whom I hadn’t met for 10 years, although we chatted regularly over the phone.

On one of those nights we even found ourselves in Heaven!

Be sure to check it out next time you’re in the vicinity. It’s highly recommended.

One of the key decisions of the night was not to wait another 10 years to meet up again.

Because one of us may not make it!

Ever since I left home, I’ve had this impulse to “clock in” at the local church wherever I am.

Ditto this time too.

My son and I had made Brickfields our base for the duration of our stay in KL, so Our Lady of Fatima Church fitted all the bills, in terms of location, and accessibility.

I managed to squeeze in some quiet time and attend a couple of masses for some much-needed spiritual boost.

Lately, I’d become disillusioned with the Church, and our leaders in particular, with the direction or lack of direction we are taking.

We seem to be following the crowd, and playing to the gallery rather than a people impacted by Jesus and his vision for a better world. Or at least that is my observation.

Watching the kids animate the Sunday mass though and the committed people serving in one form or another there put a smile on my face, and gladness in my heart.

I came back thinking maybe there is hope after all.

Perhaps there was a reason for me being there in the first place.

Even though movies are mainly made to entertain, they can also question society's rules, start conversations, and help people see things in new ways.

So, what are some of the movies and songs that have rubbed off on me?

Trying to document them all would be more daunting than counting the grains of sand on the beach opposite my house.

I suppose different themes have impacted me at different points in my life.

For instance, in my late teens, I was mesmerized by the movie “Breaking Away”.

In my late 20s, it was Robin Williams and Dead Poets Society.

Much earlier, when I was 8 or 9, there was this group of 3 pretty secondary school girls in their pinafores, in the same “bas-sekolah” with me, who broke out into “Chirpy Chirpy Cheep” and other pop hits of the day, every day.

I remember sitting like a dungu, wondering what was going on. 😕 

It wasn’t until a couple of years later that I realized the likes of Middle of the Road and other bands and singers.

I often wonder what happened to those girls, we are all old enough now to be grandfathers and grandmothers!

Speaking of movies, a Quora search for “movies that have impacted the world” revealed these quirks:

In "It Happened One Night," Clark Gable took off his shirt to reveal he wasn't wearing an undershirt. This reportedly led to a decline in undershirt sales, forcing the industry to ask MGM to have Gable wear an undershirt in his next film!

Sometimes, a film's impact can be subtle and unintended.

In the 1940s, the Soviet Union screened "The Grapes of Wrath" to showcase the poverty of American farmers for propaganda. However, the film was pulled because Soviet audiences thought the Joad family was quite wealthy—they owned a truck!

How about that for impact?

As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts. You can leave a comment in the newsletter's text box or send me an email.

Until next time, take care, and remember,

“All of us can make an impact, one life at a time.”

Jude

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