Today, as I rode down Dunlop street near Little India, the weak and frail figure of an old man, with a red plastic bag filled with aluminium cans, stayed embedded in my head for the rest of the day. Walking as if he had Parkinson's, the vehicles behind him waited patiently as he moves slowly with really small paces towards the pavement to clear traffic.
Imagine walking from one end of a normal car to another. We could do so within 4 seconds but at the pace that he was walking, he could take a minute. I just could not imagine him moving around Little India in search for empty aluminium cans in his condition. Was trying to find the lesson of the day.
It was him. He taught me the valuable lesson of survival and filial piety. Kinda weird huh? But he did. In his condition, he toiled through the day under the scorching sun to earn a living. Collecting what? Aluminium cans...And why?
Answer: Just to survive.
I don't want to be in his position one day. Neither of us should. But it just questions the issue of filial piety. Hopefully my children would grow up taking care of me and not leave me to fend on my own. Truly heart breaking to know that the ones you depended on and trusted would leave you in the lurch one day. It's not the money that matters to me, it's knowing that the ones that I love will there to hold my hands when I leave this world and knowing that even after leaving this world, their prayers for me would still continue. Filial piety. That is what is lacking in today's society.
You be the judge.
Ja (feeling melancholic this few days)
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2 comments:
argh i can't type in your comment box! anyways, just wanted to tell u that ur song's great. the recording isn't so good but enough to hear u through it. nice to have this portal to keep in touch with what's going on with u guys. and yea, parkinsons makes me depressed too. my grandma has it and when i first found out (about pri 6-sec 2), i got really scared and then i cried. hope we never have to get that disease, and that if we do, that we have loved ones around us. keep your songs coming! =D
serene
(http://www.dweenie.blogspot.com)
Thanks for the complements. Don't worry too much Serene. I believe in karma. just do as many good deeds as you can and hopefully you'll get good karma in return. It may not be now but maybe later in your life when you need them the most.
Nice to hear from you. Take care in the States.
Ja
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