Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Growing Up

When you move a kid around a lot, often enough he will reach this conclusion. Making attachments are the same as making complications. Nothing good can come of it so why bother in the first place. If the child is smart (and most certainly are) he will also realize that some relationships are necessary to get ahead in life. So he learns to observe and to listen. Most people are simple, give them what they want and you keep them happy.

Relationships in his mind, are an equation. All the child has to do is figure out the role that will fit the equation and play it till such time he has to move again. When this happens, all previous relationships are promptly forgotten. Deleted to make way for new equations and new people.

Life however, is not so simple. Eventually, and with the grace of God the child will encounter relationships that defy what he has spent a lifetime learning. Relationships that are based on the essences of love, and acceptance, and purity, none of which he understands.So he tests them, again and again, often to the breaking point and beyond. Desperately trying to cling to his belief that he was superior in his selfish knowledge. That he was right all along and everyone leaves in the end so best brace for it early on.

What the child (though in age he might not be one anymore) fails to understand is that the relationships that truly matter aren't made in any mold, it does not have a discernible shape, no outcome that can be calculated. There is no win or lose. There are only lessons that the child must learn if he is to become a man.

Saturday, June 18, 2011

Weird Happenings

There are times you'll be victorious, there are times you're gonna lose, there's times you barely pull through. That's life. That's pretty much accepted. There will be also times when you will stand in awe of Allah's (or whatever you may wish to describe Him) greatness. Unfortunately, there will also be sights that mess you up.

Whatever category of the story I will tell you falls, I will let you figure out yourself. I still haven't.

It all started like this.

What Are The Odds?

Sam (author's brother)and I had to go to a mutual friend's place to pick up some stuff. And before anyone gets excited it was just some bags back from when Sam used to live there. I was driving us both back when I took the wrong lane and ended up having to turn left when I should have just went straight. Strange thing was, the traffic light for straight ahead went green just as I was turning left. A few seconds earlier and none of this would have happened. In any case, left was the longer route.

Finally, we get to the PLUS tollbooth and Sam pulls out his "Touch n' Go" which was great cos traffic was pretty backed-up at the cash lanes. So we get in behind a red taxi, second in line with three cares behind me and... the taxi driver's card wouldn't work. At first he couldn't understand what was wrong, then he tried pressing the intercom and screaming at it, the he started to toot his horn (the taxi driver's not the intercom's). to which I added some support as well. Still nothing.

So finally I rolled my window down and offered my card, it still had plenty of balance and I just wanted to get home cos I had something important to do.

Little known fact. "Touch n' Go" cards don't work on the same booth twice in a row. I was now the idiot with the defective card, holding up traffic. At first I didn't understand what was wrong. Then I pressed the intercom button and started hollering into it followed by your garden variety of toots and horns. Still nothing.

We finally backed up enough for the next car to go on ahead and went through after him. Card worked just fine the second time around and we finally got home.

Was it providence or just plain dumb luck? Is it an answer to my some of my questions and will it lead to further questions? Honestly, I have no idea. I suppose it could also be a lesson to remind me that life should be view as more than just a series of random events and that there is purpose. You just don't know it till you've lived it. It could also be me getting way too serious way too late at night.

Later.