The USsenal Wedding

The ideal of The USsenal Wedding originated from our favourite soccer team. Nevertheless, our favourite team is definitely Arsenal FC.
Alot of my friends asked me :''Why 'USsenal' and not 'Arsenal', was it a typo error'?
Well, the US in 'USsenal Wedding' stands for the 'two of US' as well as 'Unique & Significant' - which represented the feelings towards our relationship throughout these years.

Most importantly, it represented the club that we both loved so much since our dating days.
Arsenal - always Unique & Significant to the both of US. Cheers (''.)

Tuesday, May 3, 2016

Hope on Earth

In Life, we often pick up lessons unknowingly and very most of the times, only learn after a painful process, of which at certain times, regret when changes were not reversible. How do we, humans then lament that life is as such.

Today, I had made the short trip down to a place not too far from my office to get some stuff. After crossing the road, I will always come to a big tree and there would be an old man, about in his 60s and about the age of my father selling tissue paper.

There has been the occasional urge to give something but often, I would just ignore and felt that these people should have approach the relevant places for help and just continue to walk to get my lunch. I would also do the guilty act of telling myself there is always next time.

Today, it was the same. As usual, I was waiting to cross the road. However, this time, I felt that the uncle was really working hard and trying his best to peddle the tissue paper. Strings of people would ignore him but still managed to see 1 kind soul who gave him $5 and refused to take the tissue paper.
The though of doing something the same struck me but again, it was swiftly dispelled when the uncle gave me a protective look, wondering if I am some officer to ask him to go. I felt for a while then that maybe this uncle is an evil guy at home, probably did some bad stuff when he was young and got abandoned and there is no one to blame but himself. Self consolation to justify my own self. Moreover, I had some beef to grind ahead as I was going back to the clinic to meet face to face with the receptionist who had cleverly pulled down the shutters halfway and caused me to have hit it as hard as a baseball bat when I last left the place.

It was a super hot day and my perspiration was dripping non stop even at the ATM. Quickly, money was drawn and I was on my way back to the office, where my beautiful lunch was waiting (ordered in). Again, I came to a rest at the road side while waiting to cross the road. I could not help but look at the old man in pity; he was counting his earnings, cents by cents and coin by coin. He recounted a couple more times before I crossed the road as other colleagues had bumped into me and asked me to cross the road together.

I took a glance at the uncle and he was back peddling more tissue papers once more. Thoughts rained through my mind at this instant.

I then came to a realisation that despite any shortcomings a person may have or crimes that he had done before, sometimes all a person could ask for is 3 simple meals, a shelter and peaceful days to pass. One does not need to eat good food all the time, taste healthy birds nest or even have a membership at the gym or even go travelling to have a so-called enjoyable life. For all the throngs of people who walked past the old man, what were they thinking of? The next holiday? The next date with the girlfriend? The beautiful handbag that has just been purchased? It seemed that the old man was just an occasional irritating fly that had just landed at the edge of your table which you can’t stand the sight of, anyway.

What was the old man’s history, no one will know. However, seeing him counting his coins makes one wonder if he has any money to see a doctor when he is sick. Even in Singapore, there are people who live from hand to mouth on a weekly basis. What about his family? Where are they? Is the old man living alone? Does he have a sickly old wife to take care too? Does he have the luxury to be sick even? Does he have a child who may be disabled?

While selling tissue papers may look easily profitable as one would argue, will anyone want to sit under the hot sun and peddle tissue papers for a living? Was there an underlying health condition that he is not able to work a proper job?

At the end of the day, all he may want is just a simple day where he can earn his keep honestly and not go hungry. Everyone has certain criteria to what makes their day worthwhile. Some may look at money earned, new cards and a beautiful house. To some, it may just be the chance to mingle with loved ones or just a peaceful day to get by. People like the old man toil so hard so that they can walk one step closer to see their life be complete. Yes, there are relevant help available given by the government. However, do we even need the government to teach us humanity?  Social workers are there to help the unfortunate ones to plug the hole, mend it and so that they can continue to be on the way. However, one does not need to be a social worker to help people.

At the end, I went back to office, took some extra cash and bought him ice bottled water. and gave the old man $5/. He was reluctant at first but his face full of gratefulness convinced me that it was definitely not a waste of time. Why procrastinate when we could help someone take another step in making their lives complete.

Sometimes, there may not be ‘another time’.