An SG 50 Parable - Mortal Stakes

The (Eventually) Old Man, with a cameo by the Sea (with apologies to the classic)

The young man looked all around.

In the village, the people were hungry. They had nothing to eat.

The young man had just caught some fish for his family. Maybe he could give some to the others in his village.

But...

He didn't have enough for everyone.

He watched as young men stripped leaves off tree branches, turning them into make-believe swords, and fencing each other in mock sword fights.

Others made kites and were flying them.

But all were hungry if not starving.

"Follow me, if you want to eat! Bring your sticks and your kite strings!" said the young man.

And the young men (and some women) of the village followed him.

He brought them to the sea about an hour's walk away, taught them to turn their make-believe "swords"into fishing rods, and the kite strings into fishing lines to fish in the sea. By evening everyone had caught something to feed their families.

Now the young men (and some women) knew how to fish, and their family would have something to eat.

Now every day, they fished to feed their families.

Walk, don't run

When you’ve lost everything and cannot bear to stay, walk, don’t run.

When you've done nothing wrong, but the blame still comes your way, walk, don't run.

When the dog is barking at you and you’re feeling afraid, walk, don't run.

When you find your love in bed with another and you've shot them both dead, walk, don't run.

When your sins have come back to haunt you and you need to leave behind the past, walk, don’t run.

When you have bad diarrhea and you’re trying to get to the toilet really fast, walk, don't run (trust me. running just makes it worse!)

When the world is set against you and you don’t seem to have a friend, walk, don’t run.

When you've done something wrong and you’ve got to escape, walk, don't run.

When you've given your best, but your best ain't enough, and all you have left is your dignity, walk, don't run.

Haiku for Lee Kuan Yew

Comparing him to a Tiger

A Hill. A Tiger
Roaming these familiar trails
Alone. Now he sleeps.

Comparing him to a tree

Anticipation
A tree falls in the forest
A new Patch of Sky

Everyone sees
The Tree falls in the forest
It makes not a sound

Contemporary/Pop Culture Reference

No rest for the Feared
Hard Man making History
Valar Morghulis

In his own words

"It is what it is
My Life for My Singapore
I have no Regrets"

"I have a hatchet
We'll meet in the cul-de-sac."
Valar Morghulis!

What advice do you have for Singaporeans now that you are gone? Remember, your advice must be in the form of Haiku

"Keep Calm. Carry On.
Walk Softly. Carry Big Stick.
Winter is Coming."


Haiku has a simple formula - 5-7-5 syllables in 3 lines. A good Haiku references the subject matter by analogy. But sometimes, blunt and direct works well.

Sentiments

Lee Wei Ling (Lee Kuan Yew's daughter) wrote "Love Does Indeed Spring Eternal" on 2 Oct 2011 about her mother's passing the year before, and her father's request:

“For reasons of sentiment, I would like part of my ashes to be mixed up with Mama’s, and both her ashes and mine put side by side in the columbarium. We were joined in life and I would like our ashes to be joined after this life.”

It takes a lot of courage for a man not prone to sentimentality, to make a requests purely for reasons of sentimentality.

Or it takes a lot of Sentiment for a man not prone to sentimentality to request something purely for sentiment.

Go, gentle into the good night.

The race is run, the battles won

Your life's work has taken all your life

Go now to be with your wife

Your two loves are Country and Choo,

What we owe, we owe to both her and you

Go, gentle into the good night,

Rage not against the dying of the light

The race is won, the journey done

You've won your peace, you have won the right

To go gentle into the good night.

Three Stories

Joan's Story

I don't blame him for leaving me.

But I do blame him for betraying me.

He had made his choice after stringing Jane and me along for the longest time. I had told him many times that he had to make his choice. He always promised that he would, but that he couldn't bear to hurt Jane. Finally Jane and I met up. I didn't hate her. Not then. Perhaps not even now. But if he had chosen her, I would probably have been devastated.

But not knowing for sure, not being able to move forward, was worse. So Jane and I met up, and told him he had to choose.

He took Jane aside and spoke quietly to her, his face serious, his brow furrowed, an anxious look on his face.

I could see Jane shrinking as he spoke. His words were hurting her. Her shoulders slumped with defeat. Her lips trembling as she controlled her tears.

She raised her head finally, defiantly, proudly. She said something that apparently surprised and startled John. But then she went on and I could see the tension flow out of John. His shoulders eased and relaxed.

I guess she was telling him that she accepted his decision. He was saying something else, when she leaned forward to hold him awkwardly as he tried not to return the hug. She kissed him on the cheek and let him go. Goodbye, her lips moved, then she turned and walked away without looking back.

I thought she carried herself rather well in this her time of defeat. I caught myself feeling sorry for her, and told myself, she wouldn't want my pity. Well, she had my respect, then.

Fish. Bird. Lake.

This is a half-remembered story. Someone told it to me. I can't remember who.

But I remember it. Because it has meaning, and a lesson.

-------------------

There was a little lake high in the mountains, not much bigger than a pond. It was so high that in the winter the surface of the lake would freeze over. But it was a deep enough that the water below got really cold, but did not freeze. When it got that cold, the fishes slowed down, became less active, and waited patiently for the waters to warm up again.

The fishes had lived in the lake for many generations and many winters. Seasons passed, the waters rose and fell with the seasons, and turned cold and warm with the seasons.

The younger, more vigorous, and more adventurous fishes swam up the streams that fed into the lake, and came back reporting that the waters ran faster and shallower as they swam up, until finally, the waters ran too fast, or too shallow, or were blocked by ice.

The Little Lake and the streams that fed into it was the whole world to these fishes. And it was good.

One of my favourite movies: Departures

Someone asked me why "Departures" is one of my favourite movies.

This was my answer:

Long after I've forgotten the movie, I will probably still remember the music.

But if I remember the movie and the story and the message, it is simplicity itself. A mispronunciation of House's favourite adage: "Everybody dies".

There is quiet dignity, serene beauty, and simple love in the ritual of nokan.

A pure understanding that death comes for us all, and as a final act for the ones we love, the best we can do is to send them off looking the best they can.

The movie also manages to make the dead, alive for a moment. In the simple mise-en-scene of the nokan, the drama, the conflict, the love, the lives affected are all played out and in many cases, resolved, giving all affected the the closure they need. "Hontoni Arigato Gozaimashita!"

In their death, their lives are validated by those who love them, miss them.

There are no heroes, only people living their lives, touching other people lives, leaving footprints in their hearts.

There are no great deeds. Only a respect for service for others, and an understanding that others need you, even if they don't understand what you do.

But in the end, there is forgiveness and acceptance.

And then there is the eating of the fried chicken. :-)

I also wished I understood Japanese dialects. Because the boss spoke a dialect which adds to his character. But never mind. It is still fantastic the way it is.

No Dreams

No dreams but comforting dark

No light but random sparks
No need but aching void
No anger - maybe just annoyed.

No passion left in aged men
No flame left - the fuel is spent
No hurry - facing death with patience
No screams - just piercing silence.

No love lost cos none was won
No tears beneath the brilliant sun
No laments and no regrets
No memories to try to forget


(April 2011)