Snippet Of My Life Episode 17- Duality of the Little Things I Observe

This morning, I entered the lift, a limping man was in front of me; I was wondering if that is permanent.  This morning, I sat down at my work desk, greeted by a leave request that was pending for my approval.  My colleague in his late fifties came by, told me that his brother-in-law passed away last Sunday.  And he needed time off, it’s an emergency.  Certainly, everything OK?  It was a peaceful death, in a sleep, he told me.  One topic led to another, and he shared with me some of the last moments of his loved ones, in the past.  His eyes went moist.  It is always the last moments of everything that we are holding dear to, aren’t we?  Life is fragile, he said.  If we want to say that something to that someone [such as I love you], do so today, I concluded.

One ex-colleague of Cynthia has recently passed away, in his sleep.  Last weekend, she showed me his Facebook page, heartfelt messages pouring in from all corners of the world.  How Internet has changed the way we interact.  Years ago, one World of Warcraft online gamer passed away.  Her guild organized an online funeral, within the game.  Many players turned up, to mourn.  Another opposing fraction too turned up, crashed the funeral, and mass slaughtered the mourners, within the online game.  Some cried for compassion; some said it’s a game.  Some people are just, not nice.  Like that driver who tailgated me, on the highway, high-beamed me while I was at my speed limit, overtaking.  Having cars on my left I had nowhere to go.  I am not going to pick up a speeding ticket just because someone is inches away from my back.  No sir.

This morning, I rethought my priorities in life.  I seldom see my little sister, though we are now living in the same country.  So I picked up my phone, called if she was available for lunch.  I envy her work location (see photo above).  Such serenity, away from the city center.  It was a lovely drive, bright and sunny.  What do brothers and sisters usually talk about?  I don’t know.  I need more practice.  Of course we talked about her honeymoon at New Zealand and my upcoming trip to Spain; and we talked about our parents in Hong Kong.  Yes, they miss us a lot.  My mom would call my sister out-of-nowhere just for a chat.  Then she would immediately call me.  And my mind would wander off halfway through our conversation.  Some movies are thought provoking.  In “Gran Torino”, Clint Eastwood called his son out-of-nowhere, and his son was too busy to talk.  OK, that hits me.  It is time to reprioritize.  My mom told my sister that half a month feels like half a year in Hong Kong.

On my way back, the sky was dark.  A sudden downpour and I thought of the Formula One match during the weekend.  My head was stuffed, still is, and I missed the highway exit.  Life is fragile, time to reprioritize, say what’s in my heart out, today.  I was drenched in rain, even with my golf umbrella, as I walked from the car park to my office.

This afternoon, I returned to my office building, after a lovely lunch with my little sister.  In front of me, the same limping man, walking towards me. And I wondered, is that permanent?