Tuesday 25 November 2014

strange ways of life...

.....and there are some faces that I see every morning... people I 'see' at my morning run, mum and dads at my kids bus stops, the bus driver for my kids' buses, the bus aunty's (familiar name for most of us in Singapore- bus attendants are 'old' granny's). 

My day starts starts with the smiles and hellos I exchange with these people. They are strangers yet i feel they are part of my daily life... I don't know any of their names, yet my eyes look out for them every morning.

Today when I went to drop off my little one at school, I saw a grandfather in the same bus going to drop off his grandson. For many weeks, we have been exchanging smiles but have never really spoken. Today, the uncle sat near me and we got chatting. Of course the conversation varied from my daughter to his grandchild, their schools, his moving to Singapore.While we spoke, he asked me a question " Do I see a difference in both my kids?" My answer was a prompt "Yes and added, what works for one, never works for the other." It just shows how different two people from the same household can be. To which he added, " God does an excellent quality control job."

The uncle told me about a personal tragedy that had shaken their home in the last 12 months. I wondered why he told me. After all, I was his companion only for that bus ride. When it was time for him to get off, he surely wasn't a stranger to me, yet we never exchanged names.

This meeting left a void in me. It got me thinking. We all live the same way but our circumstances are so varied. All my problems (for that moment), seemed so meager. I probably should stop cribbing about my day-to-day life and look at the larger picture.

Last weekend, I also met an old lady probably in her 60's, who I have been seeing most Saturday mornings when I go for my run. She struggles to run but doesn't give up. This time we exchanged smiles..as i crossed her, I felt I knew her a 'wee' bit better.

Both these acquaintances, had an impact on me. One a bit deeper. I will look out for the uncle every morning now and hope to exchange a bit more than a smile as days go by...


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