2/06/2008
A little reflection
Chinese New Year or any new year is a time for reflection. Today paper wrote a frontpage article about the lonely people living alone and their need for the warmth of kins and young people. But it also said, 'A festive season that is all about kin and friends can be an especially depressing time for...the bedridden, the estranged, the abandoned, the lonely...'
Many caring organisations and welfare groups are helping out to make these few days less lonely and less sad. 'At a dinner held last Friday, Madam Chew Ah Yim, 68, who lives alone and is childless, told Today: "It's like having grand children to talk to."'
Because of the good work of all these organisations and the kind people that help to make these people happier, less lonely, life is worth living. The good thing is that all these people will have the chance to live beyond 85 years and have many such happy hours to look forward to.
The unfortunate thing is that these happy hours come once a year. thanks or no thanks to the advances in medical science that these people can live to 100 years. Is it joy or is it suffering?
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Enroute to Oz.I came into the "Unique" City via the wonderful Terminal 3 a day ago, and am holed-up in one of the marvelous boutique hotels in the Chinatown area. In fact, I've made it a point to visit as many of these wonderful, quaint "boutique hotels" and spent an entire evening on the roof of "The Scarlet" in Ang Siang Hill.
Whilst there will always be those who will not make an effort themselves to make friends—to "add value" to the lives of others, and thus over time end up "lonely". Getting old is a no-brainer—you don't even have to try; everyone who is lucky enough to live long enough, will get old.
We live in a causal universe. No one is unhappy, needy, lonely or poor without any cause or reason. And at the end of the day, the soft-stuff between one's ears is a self-directed consciousness — meaning one has to make a CHOICE on whether to be "happy" or "sad" and make choices on ACTIONS to take to bring into (objective) reality one's "intent".
I know people in their 60's and 70's preparing themselves to live to 100 and beyond. They are preparing on many fronts—financial, personal health, mental discipline etc.
"Value" is extremely personal and subjective. Some people "value" living as long as they can—at whatever the cost—and some people (very sadly) willfully kill themselves at 20 because they value the "peace" from dying over the pain and trauma (which they obviously can't handle) experienced by everyone living.
I think private charity is a great idea, and encourage people to support their favourite causes. If private citizens can solve "problems" by their own self-organisation, there is less requirement for govt to make "welfare" their business.
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