Learning How to Enjoy It
Saturday, August 19, 2006
Perhaps I have finally learnt how to enjoy working. Such a mantality has been preached in almost every "happiness" publication, many of which I have purchased and read thoroughly, but to truly enjoy the moments of slogging was probably too masochistic to fathom.
Nevertheless, as we slowly grasp the concepts of life and its influencing forces, we come to realise the whys and whats, and come to accept the terms of the game.
There are 2 kinds of people in this world - The Players, and the Numbers.
Of the Players, they can be further split into 2 categories - Politicians and Businessmen.
To Politicians, Power is a Numbers Game
To Businessmen, Money is a Numbers Game
As for the Rest, either ways they are merely Numbers
Power is approximately equivalent to Money
Power + Money = Anything
Anything is approximately equivalent to Freedom
All the joy in the world is found in pursuing Freedom
In this game of life, we can't choose to backtrack, pause or opt out. And so we either accept the terms, or live in delusional misery. Should we accept the terms, we should also come to realise that in the game, you face other players, and the ultimate aim is not to be the wealthiest or most powerful, but to be the LAST MAN STANDING.
Perhaps it would be absurd to think that it is acutally possible to achieve such a status in one's short lifespan of approx 70 years. But it should ta least be the ever-resounding objective. It's really just a numbers game, so enjoy it, as games should be :)
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Crawling Out, Zooming Out
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
Looking back, it now seems apparent that everything truly happens for a reason, and that the universe unfolds itself in ways you never expect. This all encompassing wisdom may even be quite nice at times, putting your failed lessons of lief back in your face in different ways over and over again so that you may finally learn and overcome.
As I slowly crawl out of the emotional and psychological rut I put myself into a month back, I journeyed through varying intensities of hate, forgiveness, nonchalance, detachment, attachment, discovery, love, appreciation and perhaps a little enlightenment too.
For starters, you learn to appreciate those who stood silently by your side, in unconditional acceptance, breaking your fall should you need them to. They are family and friends, and while I have always given credit to friends, I have also consistently denied my family of it. Yet they are there. They may not help physically or financially, they may not even be able to give relevant advice, but they are there, and you know you are not alone.
You learn to forgive, for many logical reasons, one of which being that should you choose otherwise, that you shall inevitably end up in more agony. Of course, we tend to mix forgiveness and forgetting, for they seem to pretty much hold the same superficial healing effects. But I believe I am clear, that I have forgiven, but it does not mean I will allow myself to repeat the same mistakes, and therefore I will avoid their possible causes. Time will forget these things for me... I am, afterall, I pretty forgetful person, haha :)
You learn that there are always multiple options, and just because you have been so insistently pursuing one, you simply fail to notice the others waiting at the door you have slammed shut in denial. When you choose to open yourself up again, they starting flooding in like Harry Potter's owl mail for Hodwarts Enrolment. It's quite exhilarating...
You will also, through rational thought, discover what's missing in you, the resultant of your falls, and what's evidently abundant in you, that led to your successes. You sift out the good and discard the bad, and grow from within.
As as you grow, you shall soar higher, see more, broaden the sight and chart your way forth.
And when you take an occasional glance at what's transpired and what's left behind, you may even find it quite amusing, and definitely relieving.
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Ego-Boosting Photos
Friday, August 11, 2006
Recently we had this semi-pro photographer 2LT who got transferred into our office after his studies. I'm not sure if it was out of generosity or pure boredom (if you're newly posted to any army office, your first few weeks will always be boring), but he actually took photos for all of us ;)
Here are some samples...
1) With beret: They were saying this looks very feminine... damn :(
2) Without Beret: They said this looks too attitude...
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Age Gap or Mental Gap
Saturday, August 05, 2006
We've always been prone to labelling the differences of generations with what we call "an age gap". We youngsters camplain about how our folks can never come to terms with the coming of fashion and the riddance of unconstuctive asian traditions which serve no purpose whatsoever. In return, our folks get together in their "gathering of the golden years" to bitch about our sinful materialism and blatant contempt for many things.
I've always thought, or would like to think that I'll be able to click with both sides, since my age allows me to feign ignorance of matters and a cultish youngster rebellion in the face of my peers, while my tongue and brain, having gone through a humble but rough and good bit of practice and exposure, can tune into the bandwidth of the 50 to 60 year old lot (I am referring to corporate directors and entrepreneurs of considerable success).
I have come to realise otherwise... that I CANNOT spark a conversation with people of my age group. Basically something like that will transpire:
- Observe the common topics between these kids, and find that they do not cover anything beyond teenage fads, complaints about things they don't administer themselves, who is driving his dad's car and the car's brand, schoolwork...
- Become extremely turned off by the superficial nature of their conversation and brain
- Become even more turned off by their use of language (most Singaporean kids can't speak properly, listen and you might even find it amusing)
- Walk away shaking my head...
I can, surprisingly, (its getting increasingly better with each encounter), talk to the parents of these kids. Worst still, I am starting to enjoy the intellectual company of these people. Their jokes seem better, their charisma and aura seems more subtle yet stronger (like old wine, a chinese saying), and the topics seems broader (we can talk of variosu cultures, travels, business, policies, ideas, retirement, etc), and yet it all seems to come into a more down to earth tone.
The best part is, I will gladly allow some of these people to give me advice, simply because they are much more "there" than I am (at least on a material level), as opposed to those around me, most can afford even dining around with me for a week.
At this point, it may only be humility to admit that the same goes for me and these old folks (they are way way way way way richer than myself). I think 10% of their wealth would flatten me.
And so I have come to conclude that perhaps it is not so much of an age gap that tears the generations apart. We may quote two scenarios:
1) Put these successful retired aunties and uncles together with the normal 20 year old university kid. The kid will be eager to impress but eventual fail miserably simply because he hadn't got a story to tell.
2) Put a regular taxi uncle who is 60 with me on a cab. The taxi uncle would be eager to express his opinion on the recent restriction of smoking premises and how unfair the government is and on and on, and I would turn to my MP3 for some peace, simply because his opinion is no different from the other 20 year olds.
And so, what's that gap between people? It's understanding. It's experience, paths, ideals, personal stories, perspectives, principles and intensity. You don't grow old and automatically grow wise. Similarly, you may stay young, but run faster through life, be more receptive to the lessons that come by, and get "there" in half the time.
It's a mental gap, not age.
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Kitchen Cabinets
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