Appreciate What You Have!!!
A plate of chicken rice is a luxury? I believe none of my reader will ever think that a plate of chicken rice is a luxury. Bur unfortunately this was true in article that was reported in the new paper.
I winder how many have read that article of a man committing suicide leaving behind his wife and 2 kids, one 13 or the 15 years old. Before he took his own life, he gave one of his sons $10 and ask him to buy chicken rice for the family, which is very rare. Normally, all they have were just simple plain porridge or if better a little vegetables. Birthday celebration? It was non existence for this family.
As I read this article, it pulls my heart string. Why? Probably many of my young reader had never known what is poverty? I had grown up in poverty and life was hard for me. I can vividly remember an incident to show how bad it was.
Once I went to our national library (now already demolished) with some of my classmates. I was so poor that when my classmate went to buy a cup of drinks (costing 5 cents, in those days, 5 cents can buy you a drink, take a bus home) and I was too shameful to tell them that I had no money and just claimed that I was not thirsty. So all of them had a nice drink in that hot weather except me. After borrowing the books, it was time to go home. But unfortunately, I had no money for the bus fare, so how. Can you imagine what I did? Too shameful to ask for money ( 5 cents also don’t have, they will probably ask, “how can?), so I walked behind them slowly and as they move further ahead of me, I simply vanish into the crowd and hide myself somewhere until all of them went up the bus, probably wondering where I was. After they had taken the bus, I remember that I walked all the way home. Can you imagine walking all the way from the former national library (near to the present city hall mrt to Whampoa, that was where I was living in the past). Those days the road was not as well paved as now, potholes all over, muddy road etc. It took me almost an hour before I reached home and I was dead tired!!
This was life for me in my young days. And let me tell you that there are still some very poor people in Singapore. I had gone for house visit in Bukit Merah one room flat. You can never how some of the flats were. One of the houses was full of rubbish piling up; the poor old lady was hoping to see what could be salvage for her use, she just simply collect whatever she can.
Why am I writing this blog? Hopefully all my young reader who had never experience poverty will spare a thought for those who had little. Sometimes it is sad to hear of youngster wanting only branded things. It is time for my young reader to learn to appreciate life as you have. Appreciate what you are having now as I believe that none of you are in the situation of the family reported. Their mattress, so thin, with the foam exposing, new clothes, only when there is bonus for their parent’s salary. Time to appreciate your parents, time to appreciate what you have, your clothing, your weekly allowances, simple things in life that most of you have taken for granted!!!
I winder how many have read that article of a man committing suicide leaving behind his wife and 2 kids, one 13 or the 15 years old. Before he took his own life, he gave one of his sons $10 and ask him to buy chicken rice for the family, which is very rare. Normally, all they have were just simple plain porridge or if better a little vegetables. Birthday celebration? It was non existence for this family.
As I read this article, it pulls my heart string. Why? Probably many of my young reader had never known what is poverty? I had grown up in poverty and life was hard for me. I can vividly remember an incident to show how bad it was.
Once I went to our national library (now already demolished) with some of my classmates. I was so poor that when my classmate went to buy a cup of drinks (costing 5 cents, in those days, 5 cents can buy you a drink, take a bus home) and I was too shameful to tell them that I had no money and just claimed that I was not thirsty. So all of them had a nice drink in that hot weather except me. After borrowing the books, it was time to go home. But unfortunately, I had no money for the bus fare, so how. Can you imagine what I did? Too shameful to ask for money ( 5 cents also don’t have, they will probably ask, “how can?), so I walked behind them slowly and as they move further ahead of me, I simply vanish into the crowd and hide myself somewhere until all of them went up the bus, probably wondering where I was. After they had taken the bus, I remember that I walked all the way home. Can you imagine walking all the way from the former national library (near to the present city hall mrt to Whampoa, that was where I was living in the past). Those days the road was not as well paved as now, potholes all over, muddy road etc. It took me almost an hour before I reached home and I was dead tired!!
This was life for me in my young days. And let me tell you that there are still some very poor people in Singapore. I had gone for house visit in Bukit Merah one room flat. You can never how some of the flats were. One of the houses was full of rubbish piling up; the poor old lady was hoping to see what could be salvage for her use, she just simply collect whatever she can.
Why am I writing this blog? Hopefully all my young reader who had never experience poverty will spare a thought for those who had little. Sometimes it is sad to hear of youngster wanting only branded things. It is time for my young reader to learn to appreciate life as you have. Appreciate what you are having now as I believe that none of you are in the situation of the family reported. Their mattress, so thin, with the foam exposing, new clothes, only when there is bonus for their parent’s salary. Time to appreciate your parents, time to appreciate what you have, your clothing, your weekly allowances, simple things in life that most of you have taken for granted!!!
posted by Sebastian Chu at 4:59 PM
