Ladies in White 12:47 am

I decided to walk instead of taking the bus. After all, it wasn't too far, but long enough to take stock on the long week. It is a Friday night.

Then I see a familiar figure. Her long hair against her white dress that cut through the growing darkness. I call out and catch the familiar smile of her eyes. Its been about half a year since we last met. I walk with her to her evening destination nearby and we quickly catch up. She has just changed jobs but still in the industry. She still has her own car.

That was the first random meeting. The first lady in white.

I carry on my way and head towards the bookstore. Borders. I wonder when it would go bankrupt, as its British counterpart has; under siege by digital media. I wanted to take refuge amongst the shelves of books, away from working life's cruel onslaught. Its a Friday night.

I walked past the 'Economics' books, the her familiar figure caught my eyes; rather, her dyed-bangs did. We were trying to grab coffee the last 3 weeks, but never did. We decided to take this coincidental chance. We go for coffee before it was time for my dinner appointment. We had a good chat; people management at work eased into the insecurities people had. We recommended each other books, and before we knew it, our chance meeting came to an end as I had to leave.

That was the second random lady in white.

We parted as I headed to the bus stop of my schooldays. Being at that busstop brought back memories of waiting there after school in uniform. Tonight, I was heading for a dinner appointment after a long week at work.

The Gratitude Attitude 8:53 pm

Some people may differ, but it is not easy to be thankful for the good stuff in our lives.

Somehow, I am my most poetic and lyrical when I'm sad. And staring down history, many poets and musicians were at their composing best when they were at their low points. So though its not an everybody-thing, its for a number of people. Sad times tend to be more poignant, more memorable. Sad times make the body and mind become acutely aware of the circumstance; I'm more aware of a painful cut than when I'm otherwise healthily normal. I rarely celebrate my health, which I proabably take for granted as given; many peers in troubled parts of the world would chide me for that.

On radio this morning, a gentleman commented on the younger generation being 'fat cats'; the good life served up on a silver platter, never having known hardship so the moment an ounce of fabric change on the couch we lay on, we complain. Many might disagree, especially my generation, but I suspect there is some truth in this analogy. At least for me, it reflects some truth; I'm so comfortable that I forget to be thankful for the good stuff which I take as given.

For me, it is not easy being thankful for the good stuff in my life.

Don't get me wrong; I do say my thanksgiving prayers weekly at Mass. In fact, i overdo it on a daily basis. Yet somehow gratitude comes not from such superficial gestures, but rather sincere gratitude should manifest through the testimony of how I live my life. And as a priest mentioned over the Easter weekend that just past, that whilst it is ever-tempting to walk into the 'tomb of self-pity' using religious imagery, we should always resist. And I do believe walking away from such a temptation is in part living out the gratitude for the life that I have.

A friend mentioned just yesterday how our generation of Singaporeans have 'no monsters to fight' and therefore don't dare, and bother, to be agents of change. When we do see faults in society, alot of us simply get behind our screens and become, in his words, 'keyboard warriors'; complain about these faults through online forums and that is as much as we do to lend a solution. What is said here is indeed a sweeping observation but is an accurate one, in my view despite the lack of numbers to prove it. How many of us step up to try be solutions to the faults we complain about? Not just at the societal level, how about at the work level? How often do we 'step up'?

The question to ask is why; why are we fast becoming a generation that complains and not act towards a solution directly? Is it relevant to ask this in the same vein as the first issue at the start of how it is not easy being thankful for the lives we have? Or am I simply conflating complex issues out of convenience?

Perhaps we will leave this debate here for now. After all, I do suspect this issue will linger for just abit before a whole generation learns to deal with these issues.