Son: A True CNY Story

I had bore witness to this touching experience on two days before Chinese New Year, and decided to tell it to you. Please bear with me if I cannot portray the story well, and please, reflect on it for just a few moments when you finished.

There was an elderly lady, who had worked hard all her life to raise her children. Now, she desires to live in a Buddhist temple with the nun and the other old tenants, rather than staying at home all day with nothing to do, having boredom gnawing at her. Her son, wanting only happiness for his mother, obliged. He would spend every weekend afternoon taking his family to visit her. In a way, the lady was content.

This went on for some months, until the eve of Chinese New Year was around the corner. Wanting to spend the New Year with his mother, he had arranged and convinced the lady to stay with his wife's family and celebrate the New Year together. The lady agreed, much to his family's delight.

However, when the day came, the old lady had a change of mind. She declined the offer to go, saying, "I'm old now, too frail for traveling. Let me spend the New Year in here instead, where it'll be more peaceful and quiet. Go, go without me. I am content here." Dismayed, her son tried to talk her to go, but the lady persisted. Her grandson, the eldest of the man, aided his father in the attempt, but to no avail. When the leading nun of the temple joined in to the lady's side, both father and son knew that they are losing the battle.

The lady's son finally conceded. Wishing his mother a happy Chinese New Year, he turned to prepare his family for the journey to his in-laws place. The eldest grandson thought he glimpsed tears in his father's eyes, and his heart was filled with sorrow. During the moment when both father and son were alone, the shy teen stepped up and wanted to hug his father, for nothing more than silent comfort, but he hesitated, and the moment passed.

Silently, the boy vowed never to have the same dilemma to ever happen to his own parents, for their sake, and his own. He glanced back one more time to his grandmother as they departed, eyes stinging because of the tears he held back.

Here was a son who cannot fulfilled his wish of having his own mother spending Chinese New Year with him. Would you spend more time with your own parents if you had the choice?

Never been Better

Again, its the time of the year when I'd get to ignore my main occupation and focus instead on my secondary work with all impunity. Te fact that this year marks the final test of the second study stage of my life makes no significance to me at all. To me, the impact will only hit after April, when the dust of battles have settled down. So, lets get our hands dirty, guys.

Twice a week, we stayed back after school and drilled while the rays of the sun rained down on us non-stop. Every evening, we went back home feeling exhausted, yet adrenaline would pushed us on to continue our studies with vigour. Basically, we're living on steroids produced by our own bodies, fueled by exhilaration and the determination to succeed in the upcoming battle.

Does it matter when our feet got roasted in our shoes while we stand motionless? Does it matter when our hands burn on the tarmac road? Does it matter when we cheer ourselves hoarse in a fit of narcissism? Well, maybe it tugs at our conscience for a few minutes, but in the end, we'd knew it'll be worth it all, just to be part of it, when the time comes.

This is where we belonged, as we are finding and proving ourselves in this gruelling preparation. We knew for certain that when the dust settles, we'll have to wage another kind of battle on our own. But we will look back to this moment in the forseeable future, as we remember the victory - even if we should fail in the end - brought by the sweat on our brow, and the strength of our backs, with pride.

Who are We to Judge?

As it is, there are lots of things shunned by the norm of our societies. Marrying one's teacher, for example, would definitely be shocking news indeed to those who know of it. But as people's minds are progressing, some parts of the so-called "norm" were abolished. Still, too much remains. There are some things that were of no bad consequence at all, yet still banished by the people in general simply because they cannot stand the insult to their long-standing beliefs.

For some instance, when presented with an idea that proved better than the "society norm" way, most people will simply reject it because "Its simply not the way it should be." Especially when these ideas involve "untouchable" issues.

Truly, tradition did arise from generations of accumulated wisdom, but sometimes, why not rebel against it if the act is logical? After all, there are some aspects in tradition that could be refined so as to adapt to the difference in modern lives. I would not want to offend anyone by disrespecting the old ways, but I hope that being skeptical and logical in life would be far better than being a tad superstitious. There may be boundaries that are set for our good, but there are also boundaries that are made to be pushed against if we were to achieve new heights in the world.

In the end, the point is: who are we to judge others simply because they are different? We are but fellow people compared to them, just less... eye-catching. So we should just accept people for who they are, while changing things that can be changed for the better.

One and One is Two.

Light : Right, let's start talking.
Dark : (Bored) Just get this over with quickly.
Light : Don't you ever think that this might do us good?
Dark : Do you?
Light : ... We have to confront each other at times, whether or not we want to.
Dark : Keep talking.
Light : (Near exasperation) Sometimes I wish you never existed.
Dark : I'm not as stupid as you. (Light appears affronted) Whenever there's me, there's bound to be you. Without you, there's no way left to express me.
Light : True. Heights are nothing if not for the depths they towered over. Yet sometimes, why are the depths preferred?
Dark : Maybe its because the heights are already so full, people were pushed off to the depths all the time. Therefore they'd chose to stay in the depths, for that place never gets crowded.
Light : Who judges that?
Dark : Nobody does, but everybody executes it.
Light : Are there other reasons?
Dark : Yes. Some people were born suffused with my, let's say, "touch". They chose my path delibrately, for reasons only they themselves, and no other, can fathom.
Light : Yet many walk beside you because they were coerced, forced, or belied to.
Dark : Of course, I do not deny that. But how many more had walked beside you simply out of resignation, simply because that is their so-called "norm"?
Light : (At loss for words)
Dark : (Continuing without missing a beat) Those who chose to walk by my side, willingly, know exactly what they are doing. Can you say the same of those who do so beside you?
Light : Well... almost.
Dark : ... Yet, my kind are the ones shunned, for you are the chosen one.
Light : (Seizing the opportunity) And why? Because we are doing forever better than you could ever achieve. Our actions may differ, but you would never take my path because you can't, whilst I do so because I chose not to.
Dark : Empty words. If a man walks beside either of us to with his own soul, he did so with his very choice, not with any outer coercion. I do not deny that you can overcome me, but it was long known that you would never vanquish me.
Light : We are made to do this forever, then.
Dark : No. As you said, our paths differ. Only when our paths cross do we clash. For now, though, our paths have diverged. Until we meet again.
Light : (Looked around as darkness descended. Saw nothing of Dark when light returns.) Until we meet again, then. Forgot to tell you that some people fear me more than they fear you, because I hold more unknowns than you, because I blind people without a cure, whereas they can see what is within your folds.
Dark : (Very faint) That would be the irony. Oh, by the way, the one who crossed our paths by deliberation? He walks by me.
Light : As he wishes.