Now who says I'm a heartless creature? Sometimes people walk past the unfortunate, the needy, the disabled with so much as a quirky giggle or a smile upon their face...the coldness in their eyes so signifying as disregard for their plight. I'm not saying they relish in their suffering, though.
I still remember my time as a kid back when I was staying in Ang Mo Kio...that old place which held so many wonderful memories...the time when I was young and so carefree, aside from being a pain in the ass for my family with all my mischievous deeds. How I used to be brought out by my aunts and my mum; an outing to Orchard for shopping every weekend which I happen to resent nowadays. Those things really made me one of the happiest kids in the world, though today most of our happiness seems to be dictated by a sum of money or other material things.
And every time my mum and I passed that man, sitting, singing and playing his keyboard in the underpass between Orchard MRT station and Tangs, she'd ask me to drop a coin in, and say a small prayer for him. I always did, and it always left a light-hearted note deep down which I never came to understand even after so long.
Over the years this practice of mine has become redundant as much as it has been underused. But yesterday as I was on the way home at Bedok Interchange, I happened to pass this familiar old man clad in a white shirt and trousers; short and hunchbacked, waving a few packs of tissue paper and trying to project his feeble voice as best he could to attract potential customers. His eyes were meekly tiny; almost closed, in fact.
And I thought to myself...such an unfortunate fellow, having to do this even in the later years of his life. And at that time I just felt an enormous sense of regret and guilt engulfing me. Some may call it pity. I haven't identified it just yet. But the irony of that fact is that I didn't stop to buy what he was trying so hard to sell. I knew it was for his livelihood; to afford a meal or shelter.
Has helping the needy become the least of what my conscience allows? I should extend my help whenever I can. It's the least I could do for their survival.
On a lighter note, dear came over to my place yesterday after school to slack and have laksa =) She's a little disorientated and distraught
due to a recent spate of events which I feel I shouldn't share here, so I'll give you guys something else to see instead =)
[i will love you forever...it's a promise.]
I still remember my time as a kid back when I was staying in Ang Mo Kio...that old place which held so many wonderful memories...the time when I was young and so carefree, aside from being a pain in the ass for my family with all my mischievous deeds. How I used to be brought out by my aunts and my mum; an outing to Orchard for shopping every weekend which I happen to resent nowadays. Those things really made me one of the happiest kids in the world, though today most of our happiness seems to be dictated by a sum of money or other material things.
And every time my mum and I passed that man, sitting, singing and playing his keyboard in the underpass between Orchard MRT station and Tangs, she'd ask me to drop a coin in, and say a small prayer for him. I always did, and it always left a light-hearted note deep down which I never came to understand even after so long.
Over the years this practice of mine has become redundant as much as it has been underused. But yesterday as I was on the way home at Bedok Interchange, I happened to pass this familiar old man clad in a white shirt and trousers; short and hunchbacked, waving a few packs of tissue paper and trying to project his feeble voice as best he could to attract potential customers. His eyes were meekly tiny; almost closed, in fact.
And I thought to myself...such an unfortunate fellow, having to do this even in the later years of his life. And at that time I just felt an enormous sense of regret and guilt engulfing me. Some may call it pity. I haven't identified it just yet. But the irony of that fact is that I didn't stop to buy what he was trying so hard to sell. I knew it was for his livelihood; to afford a meal or shelter.
Has helping the needy become the least of what my conscience allows? I should extend my help whenever I can. It's the least I could do for their survival.
On a lighter note, dear came over to my place yesterday after school to slack and have laksa =) She's a little disorientated and distraught
due to a recent spate of events which I feel I shouldn't share here, so I'll give you guys something else to see instead =)
[i will love you forever...it's a promise.]
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home