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i'd recently finishd a book by Mitch Albom, entitled "The Five People You Meet in Heaven". It's a very thin book, simple to understand but profound with a truths we can all learn in life. I can't fully agree with the picture painted by the Author about God and Heaven, but nonetheless, I applaud the fantastic take he had given to teach us very important lessons in life. These life lessons, I don't think it's just that saving money and be happy kinda shit.. but it's really quite a different context. The author portray these important lessons in life, as different chapters of 5 important person, who had one way or another, directly or indirectedly impacted some focal changes in the key character's life. Mr Eddie Main-te-nace.
In Summary, I won't repeat the story but do read it if you have the time. The author is basically telling us, nothing happen around is by chance. And they are just a concidental drop of rain on our head. Things happen around us for a purpose; purposes which we might or never get to explain to ourselves. We may spend our whole life searching a that futile search, and may end up nowhere, even the wrong place. We may also intepret life's lessons wrongly, and as such, bring along the rest of our lives, the bitterness and anguish which denies us the very freedom of living life. According to the author, we have each of us, five major characters in our lives, which will open our eyes in full and help decipher what we could not, or misunderstood while on earth.
I cannot help but wonder candidly, who would be my five characters in heaven waiting for me, and what lessons will they teach me. According to the book, my first ought to be someone whom I had never met. Someone who has a very contrasting life from mine. What matters would be that little crossroad and junction where our paths crossed briefly. I have had made a great impact in changing in his or her life without knowing. A small insignificant action or word that is of little worth, and of small regard from me; had greatly changed the destiny of this someone. Perhaps we don't realise it but sometimes, we only need the smallest effort the throw things off equillibrium for many others around us, unknowingly. It can be to their misfortune, and may be to their blessing, but it did make a difference.
My second person would have to be someone of no blood relation to me, a person of authority whom I look up to. To mould myself towards his likeness and find solace, protection, acceptance and guidiance from. Since no human being is ever perfect, including this role model, inevitably he would have left something negative and burdensome for me to carry for the rest of my life. Perhaps the role models in each of our individual lives doesn't really help much in shaping and moulding our character. They might just be lone beacons out in the sea. It might be well that we might not need these obscure guides in life.
My third would have to be the one person that can single handedly carved out my homeland and my country. Mr Lee perhaps? hahah..we all know what kind of questions we have for his never ceasing hold and iron fist on our country. And yet we cannot deny that without him, we wouldn't have a safe roof over our head. But what has this man have, an influence in my life that ought I to me him in heaven? Of all the elements that shaped my physical life, my country and the man who had moulded it, would have had unintendedly gave me a template to live my life.
My fourth would have to be somebody very dear and intimate to me. Somebody whom I would spent the rest of my life with. My partner in life that is. What question do I have for him and him for me when we get there? Perhaps to tell him what he had missed out during the absence from each other. No two person can ever spend their lives together eternally. And in this book, even this shortmeeting in heaven would have to be temporal and to release all the pent up memories and feelings that could not have had the chance to be uttered. Seemingly when all hopes seemed lost, we would be offered this one last chance to express the deepest part of our soul.
Who would be the last person I might meet in heaven? Oh gosh I'm not even sure whether I'm even bothered.
Sempllice Simon
I must say.. today was really one of those days which I could never have enough. Long day, relaxing away with Marcus with no rush here or there. We slept in till 12 in the afternoon. Gosh.. who's complaining.. after which we brushed teeth, bathed and finished an hour plus of "duh-duh-duh" :P Went out to Tiong Bahru for late Brunch around 3pm plus.. Chit chat for a while, came straight back home. Watched Tom Cruise's Minority Report.. finished around 8pm.. went to his office for a while.. did some of his admin stuff.. went to VivoCity had dinner and Marche.. talked and walked around for a while and went back home.
I was just too resolved not to rush through the day. Last few weekends were such a rush to go many different places.. driving here and there between appointments. I simply did not enjoy my day. I didn't really know whether I enjoyed passing time quickly and going around places and squeezing with crowds and crowds of people, or I would rather laze around bed, read a good book and hang out idle-big-time with Marcus.
After today, I really think the latter would worked for us. Neither of us like rowdy crowdy places.. we don't like to rush around places .. A little spontaneity is fun too. Sometimes is good to not know where we want to go and what we want to do. And let's decide then and then where to. A litte disorganize scheduling sure beats the mad rush at the office every weekday isn't it?
Semplice Simon
I always have a problem with a bunch of str8 guys engaging in a fervent conversation of balls and soccer. Especially the recent Asean Big Gulp, I couldn't have been prayinf for peace of ear. Not until I met up 6 lesbians for dinner would I begin to realise, both sides of the coin, is quite the same. :P It was refreshing but yet dejavu-eee, having to see 6 lesbian dykes and femmes talking about their favorite soccer team and favorite matches. One big diff... they are not ooo-gahing over the cute soccer players. Leave that to us fags then.
It was really an eye opener.. . I had wanted to gather a few good friends to have dinner. Been doing this regularly for almost 1 year now. Going out with lesbians is starkingly different. We have had gay outings before where the lesbians would always be outnumbered. And for once, I felt diminished, almost.. smaller.. LOL. At least.. it was just me and my gay friend. Two guys, six gals. I didn't go with much expectations. I knew it would be fun and interesting. I was already familiar with three of them, but slightly apprehensive about the new girls. I knew they would generally be easy to get alone. After the whole thing, my fears were proved unfounded.I had have good impressions of most lesbos that crossed my life. In the gay man's world, there's always the good mix of queens and bitches, gentleman, cutie twinks and the muscular macho marys'. In the lesbian world, the whole two groups being the masculine tomboyish girls.. and the feministic girls. That was how deep it went, my knowledge of them that is..
I met my first lesbian back in 1998/99 where I was with the initial SgBoy team. The whole idea was quite raw, having a gay portal for GLBT people. It was quite ambitious, and I never stay beyond the firist anniversary. There was this girl named Fran, still remember how she look. Femm.. demure and reserved. She was of course, quick to contribute with a little of that no nonsense attitude. Nice gal. Lost track of what's happenin now. Last heard she ended being the Australia correspondent for the website.
If you look at it, we must admit that the whole GLBT thing in Singapore is not fully evolved to state of perfect harmonized union, organized and holding any joint events together. Gay Lesbian Bisexual Transsexual united. Our circle of friends is much isolated to that sexual preference of ours. Perhaps we simple do not find anything common with girls that love girls, and guys that loves both of them. Less talking about the drags and the guys which will prefer dressing up as curvy and full figured woman along changi beach. Let's face it. Our circle just does not mix that well yet. At besides the PLU group that's still trying to register, there seemd not much of any other organized group in singapore.
At least that was what OurActivities was trying to do. To which I realised, having everybody 's a critic, the idea could not take off quite well with members who were so sarcastic and cynical. The new committee who took over were constantly derided for being insincere, unorganized, without a proper vision/mission and objectives. Not too sure who were really the delusional ones, but our GLBT cause could not have been more raw and obvious.
As I sat there basking in their company, I could feel a bit of that expression, the willingness to accomodate and understand the fact that gays and lesbians are not that far apart in difference. We do have common ground even though we both prefer our own sex. Are we that buzy? With time only to the things of our circle? Do we organize parties only for all str8 guys, all gay guys or all lesbians girls? What good can we get out this gradual blending of our groups? For one, I really hope that this common understanding within our GLBT community, may drive us to take on the common cause, of advocating understanding and tolerance, gaining acceptance and acknowledgement from the government, our friends and families.
Semplice Simon
