"Most importantly, I want to make my family happy."

I went to Classroom 4 today to prepare the class for the boys from Muhammadiyah Welfare Home.

They have been using our premises over the past four days for a motivational course.
If you had gone to the website, you will notice that these boys are either from broken homes, without parents (dead or MIA), or awaiting trial.
OK, so back to this morning. My usual routine is to open the classroom and on the aircon for them. Everyday, the classroom was bare but today, I was greeted with drawings pasted onto the walls by these boys. Most are paper cuttings with descriptions. It does not take much for me to realise that the theme was "My Future". Many wanted to be soccer stars, some want to be firefighters and one or 2 want to own their own business but only one stood out from the rest. A drawing of a couch with three people described as "A Happy Family" sitting on it and a big car with a description "I want a big family car". To sum it all up is one sentence "I want a big car for my family but most importantly, i want to make my family happy."
A lump formed in my throat and I felt sad all over. He took the trouble to draw instead of pasting cutouts on the drawing block like the rest. It was a simple drawing with simple sentences but it screamed a million words.
Just what did this boy do to be abandoned by his parents? Could'nt the parents at least provide him with the love and care that he needed and give him a second chance? From his drawing, isn't that the only thing he wants? A happy family?
When they came in today all rowdy and happy, I really thank God that I can't read minds and look into others' hearts. There must be so much pain and hurt in them.
We just label them as juveniles without even thinking what made them turn out that way.
I hope they learn and start appreciating life all over again. It's not too late to start anew.

Even though that scar will always be there, it will heal.

Blogs

I enjoy reading blogs. Been reading blogs for as long as I remember but never had the guts to create my own till lately.
I am not comfortable with my personal life being aired in the open for all to read but I am truly amazed by what some people wrote on their blogs.
Some get real descriptive in what they do in bed. Some are plain diaries, what I cooked today, where i went today, and so on and so forth. Some I notice use their blogs to brag. Like, how they can afford that big house there, like how their husbands are willing to buy that Gucci bag or that diamond ring. Some use blogs for creative writing.
Well, whichever way we write our blogs, whichever contents we use, I think all of us have one similar interest and that is writing. Blogs become our pastime, it's a hobby created over time and I salute the very first guy who created blogs. Maybe he or she has Bill Gates to thank or even the very first joker who created computer.
I, for one, feel that the computer has taken so much of my time away from other things which are more deserving. I am hooked onto surfing, especially reading blogs. Who shall I blame? Should I start the cycle all over again....*roll eyes*
Anyway, for me, my blog is a window to what I see and perceive. I may not share that same opinion as that blogger who writes a diary as a blog or that braggart but I respect them for wanting to keep in touch with writing and spending that extra time and effort to share their innermost feelings.
CHEERS!!

He Remains.

How many times do we come across a person that leaves an impression in our lives? That someone, with positive traits that lives on , or even that someone that affects that sensitive spot in you and when you are feeling melancholic, you think of him.
Many years back, when I was working in a bank, I had Mr Chionh as a colleague. He was a Class II Officer and he was in charge of our Vault.
Mr Chionh stood out from the rest because of his good looks and his kind nature.
He was close to his retirement year but yet he did not look a day older than fifty. He was fair, tall and many men would kill to have his body, especially at that age.
Mr Chionh treated his staff well, he never differentiate between the man who came in to throw the rubbish to the tie-clad manager seated in that special room. To him, all workers despite their positions deserved to be treated with respect. He did not care for ranks, neither did he give a damn about money.
He did not smoke or gamble. He loved animals and campaigned against abuse on animals. He was a vegetarian and practised a regular health routine. He was into swimming, sailing and hit the gym frequently.
He had been healthy all his life until he was diagnosed with lung cancer. You would think that this disease will only hit those who neglect their bodies but it hit Mr Chionh, a health freak.
We were shocked and saddened, How could this happen? We expected him to live to a ripe old age, enjoying his retirement but..............sadly, he became too weak to work and was forced to retire early.
He succumbed to lung cancer a few months later.
Mr Chionh left a void in the bank. We had another officer who took over his duties but that void remained.
We missed his early morning hellos, that frequent pat on the back, the little thank-you notes on our desks and all nice simple things that he had done to make us happy.
We missed Mr Chionh.

I often ask myself if I were to climb that corporate ladder, will I be able to give my staff half of what Mr Chionh had given to all of us? The confidence? The trust? That sense of belonging?

When my heart feels heavy and I am slammed with something negative, I always remember Mr Chionh saying, "Don't fret! Pick yourself up and shake off the dirt."

Dwell on it!!

I was on my way home from work, in the train when I eavesdropped (I know it's rude but they were loud :)) on a conversation between 2 old ladies. Here it goes:

Old Lady 1 : I don't understand youngsters nowadays. They are so
rude. You know, when I am back here, I am the one
who has to call them and ask how they are.
Old Lady 2 : Well, time has changed.
Old Lady 1 : Time has not changed, people has.
Old Lady 2 : Yeah ! You know, now they live together first then
they get married. In the old times, we dont do
things like that.
Old Lady 1 : We are so scared of our parents. Now, we can't even
reprimand them.
Old Lady 2 : Young children *shook head* , just let them be and
they stepped on our heads.
Old Lady 1 : They are not young. My daughter is 54.
Old Lady 2 : But they think young.
Old Lady 1 : She bought and sold her house, our family heirloom.
And I've got no say.
Old Lady 2 : Maybe she needs the money?
Old Lady 1 : No. She just want it, and I can't say anything
because the house is in her name.
..........

The conversation continued to some other issues but it set me thinking. Have we really lost the moral values that were instilled from generations?
If it's like that now, then what will happen in the future?
My kids...will they even think twice about keeping me in their homes? *shudder*
Sometimes, some questions are better left unanswered.

Ecstatic!! When I found this page, I told myself, "Yes! It's about time!" Not that I want the whole world to know what's happening in my life. Not that I care but I think I deserve that space to reflect and deflect.

I am quite a private person and blogs are way too intimidating for me. Gosh! I am not that it-savvy, just a simple page for me to update and press enter and hey presto! there's my entry. :)

So, here's what blogger.com offers and I grabbed it.

Okie....so first entry should be more of an introduction but I am not famous, no mean feats to blow my horn about, no looks or body to die for so I wont ramble on that. In fact, I am just a plain Jane and I am so contented with what I have, my 3 little ones and a husband who cares (at times, he told me he'd rather be deaf..oh well). And a job that I wont trade for anything else even though I am getting peanuts for it; and so many other blessings that I have that God has bestowed upon me, like sight, hearing, taste and what-nots, that I dont think I could ask for anything more.

Well, that's it, a zany entry for a start. And, a smile and a handshake to all new friends reading this, may this be a positive beginning. :)