Now that the lunar new year is coming to an end, it is back to real work, the routine that most would choose to take up. The mindset that one’s satisfaction in life with getting good grades and landing up with a stable, well-paying job, is ingrained in most of us Singaporeans. There is absolutely nothing wrong with leading a simple, tranquil life, but it is also reasonably rewarding and fulfilling to venture beyond one’s boundaries and out of our comfort zone, and indulge in the sights and happenings around us that may appear subtle previously.

Just yesterday, I was on the train ride to Aljunied to meet Sandip, and as usual, the grumpy and lethargic expressions on the commuters were exchanged after a day’s work. What caught my attention and amused me was actually a young boy in his teens, who was walking up and down the carriages shouting to himself the names of the respective stations at every stop. Not a usual sight, and I think the rest of the commuters would agree with me that he is mentally retarded. I was trying my best to suppress my laughter and I spotted some smiley faces across the aisle. There was nothing to be amused of and I didn’t see it as an entertainment.

The same incident struck again this evening when I was on a bus ride home. This time round, a young man in his 20s had the habit of violently pulling and shaking the handle pole of the bus exit whenever the bus made a turn. It was a double decker bus packed to the point where passengers had to stand on the lower deck. That guy was really making a
mockery out of himself. We can’t really blame him because his action might be involuntary due to some medical conditions.

Living in a complex, borderless society, we may encounter snippets in life that are worth reflecting upon. The world is undoubtedly getting more competitive, but are we able to cope or have some of us being defeated? We live our lives only once, and what we are going to tell our next generation will depend on how we live it to the fullest.