Dr Wee

I told myself to cover this, but somehow I forgot, probably because I was trying not to be too serious on my blog. Mr Wee departed from this world on 2 May 2005. It wasn’t sudden for his family, but it was, for Singapore. His departure have very much reminded us of his wonderful contributions to this little island country. It has been 12 years since he stepped down from his post as president of Singapore in 1993.

He was the president when I was born, and until I was at the age of 4, entering nusery. As an infant, I hardly have any recollections about this president, known for his kindness. He was a reporter before he became the president; he never really stepped into politics. I guess being a reporter really helps you see the world, and probably the guiding principles for a man is formulated this way, through one’s job.

After his death, we raised the flag only to half-mast for 3 days, as a sign of respect. It was almost the same situation as president Ong’s death. People all over Singapore went into the Istana to pay their respect to Mr Wee – a demonstration of his popularity and the respect he has earned from the people.

I wouldn’t be talking about death. Instead, I think the point to this story is life. How you live. Whether you choose to accomodate with everything, accept and tolerate the suffering, then relish the achievements that you get after you finally slogged hard enough to be recognised. Or perhaps some would prefer to make their lives worse by resisting the hardwork, and riot against the authority, then get punished. Maybe you are none of the above – you are one who don’t give a damn about whatever happens to others, you simply pass a day after another, following the general trend and crowd, and remain in the ‘masses’.

Everyone in this world is like a basin of water. Each of us is a molecule of water. We have several options: 1) We sway with the crowd and take the shape of the container, 2) You waste all the potential energy you have got and freeze, isolating yourself from others and become a passive molecule, 3) You gather the kinetic and potential energy others waste, and gain enough energy to break away from the rest of the liquid particles, becoming a gas molecule, part of the whole collection of water vapour, free from the grasp of the intermolecular forces.

I am not initiating a chemistry lesson or whatsoever. I am trying to illustrate the options one have got. In fact, there is more than 3 options. You might even like to try breaking yourself apart, forming an oxygen and 2 hydrogen to benefit other molecules in some way. The possibilities are infinite, you just have to embrace it.