Wonder if any of you ever had the feeling that life is bad, real
bad… and you wish you were in another situation? Do you find that life seems to
make things difficult for you, work sucks, life sucks, everything seems to go
wrong?
bad… and you wish you were in another situation? Do you find that life seems to
make things difficult for you, work sucks, life sucks, everything seems to go
wrong?
It was not until yesterday that I totally changed my views about
life; after a conversation with one of my friends.
life; after a conversation with one of my friends.
He told me despite taking 2 jobs, and bringing back barely above
$1000 per month, he is happy as he is. I wonder how he can be as happy as he is
now, considering that he has to skimp his life with the low pay to support a
pair of old-age parents, in-laws, wife, 2 daughters and the many bills of a
household.
$1000 per month, he is happy as he is. I wonder how he can be as happy as he is
now, considering that he has to skimp his life with the low pay to support a
pair of old-age parents, in-laws, wife, 2 daughters and the many bills of a
household.
He explained that it was through one incident that he saw in
India.
India.
That happened a few years ago when he was really feeling low and
was touring India after a major setback. He said that right in front of his
very eyes, he saw an Indian mother chopped off her child’s right hand with a
chopper. The helplessness in the mother’s eyes, the scream of the pain from the
innocent 4 years old child haunted him until today. You may ask why did the
mother do so, has the child been naughty, was the child’s hand infected??
was touring India after a major setback. He said that right in front of his
very eyes, he saw an Indian mother chopped off her child’s right hand with a
chopper. The helplessness in the mother’s eyes, the scream of the pain from the
innocent 4 years old child haunted him until today. You may ask why did the
mother do so, has the child been naughty, was the child’s hand infected??
No, it was done for two simple words — to beg. The desperate
mother deliberately caused the child to be handicapped so that the child can go
out to the streets to beg. I cannot accept how this could happen, but it really
did, just in another part of the world which I don’t see.
mother deliberately caused the child to be handicapped so that the child can go
out to the streets to beg. I cannot accept how this could happen, but it really
did, just in another part of the world which I don’t see.
Taken aback by the scene, he dropped a small piece of bread he
was eating half-way. And almost instantly, flock of 5 or 6 children swamp
towards this small piece of bread which was then covered with sand, robbing of
bits from one another. The natural reaction of hunger. Striken by the
happenings, he instructed his guide to drive him to the nearest bakery. He
arrived at two bakeries and bought every single loaf of bread he found in the
bakeries.
was eating half-way. And almost instantly, flock of 5 or 6 children swamp
towards this small piece of bread which was then covered with sand, robbing of
bits from one another. The natural reaction of hunger. Striken by the
happenings, he instructed his guide to drive him to the nearest bakery. He
arrived at two bakeries and bought every single loaf of bread he found in the
bakeries.
The owner is dumb-folded, but willing, sold everything. He spent
less than $100 to obtain about 400 loaf of bread (this is less than $0.25/per
loaf) and spend another $100 to get daily necessities. Off he went in the truck
full of bread into the streets. As he distributed the bread and necessities to
the children (mostly handicapped) and a few adults, he received cheers and bows
from these unfortunate. For the first time in life he wonder how people can
give up their dignity for a loaf of bread which cost less than $0.25. He began
to ask himself how fortunate he is as a Singaporean. How fortunate he to be
able to have a complete body, have a job, have a family, have the chance to
complain what food is nice what isn’t, have the chance to be clothed, have the
many things that these people in front of him are deprived of…
less than $100 to obtain about 400 loaf of bread (this is less than $0.25/per
loaf) and spend another $100 to get daily necessities. Off he went in the truck
full of bread into the streets. As he distributed the bread and necessities to
the children (mostly handicapped) and a few adults, he received cheers and bows
from these unfortunate. For the first time in life he wonder how people can
give up their dignity for a loaf of bread which cost less than $0.25. He began
to ask himself how fortunate he is as a Singaporean. How fortunate he to be
able to have a complete body, have a job, have a family, have the chance to
complain what food is nice what isn’t, have the chance to be clothed, have the
many things that these people in front of him are deprived of…
Now I begin to think and feel it, too. Was my life really that
bad?
bad?
Perhaps….no… it should not be bad at all….
What about you? Maybe the next time you think you are, think
about the child who lost one hand to beg on the streets.
about the child who lost one hand to beg on the streets.
Story By Wendy Tan
