Little things in life you just keep doing, without realising that it is the result of modern society. Maybe, that is why we are all so stressed today.
Tick … tick … tick …
What’s that? That is the modern invention that you keep looking at countless times a day. 2 pm appointment at Body Shop – you finish your meal at Bugis first and it says one-fifteen – so you go to the book store on the third floor, browse a few new novels, 1:32 already – queue up to buy a movie ticket but it takes longer than you expect, 1:41 you are still waiting wondering why the couple in front takes so long – your turn has finally arrived but it is full house for movie A – take another 15 seconds to decide to watch movie B instead – what? No decent seat? – 1:46 you rush down the escalator and the train arrives at 1:54.
You don’t expect you will be on time, do you?
So you consult your personal timer and keep hoping.
1:56 – 1:59 – 2:02 – 2:03 – 2:04 – 2:05
And you give up looking at the digits and try to relax. The stress level, of course, depends on who you are seeing.
Two-thirteen you arrive at Body Shop and …
You realised that he or she is late.
And you are probably stressed for nothing. Look at your time again and instead, you may feel a bit frustrated. Another ten minutes has gone and you start to wonder if your meeting point is correct.
Occasion like this makes you think that if knowing time in such a detail is such a necessity.
Think about this. Sometimes, time appears in a different form.
Jake the milkman will deliver my bottle of milk at my door at around seven in the morning. I can hear my newspaper hits my doorway at around seven-thirty. My neighbour, Auntie Mary, will go to market at around nine (banging of the door). I know Pete the postman will come before lunch time. Sitting by the window, a blue jeep will leave the place at two and come back around nine (the headlight is so bright!). The kids return from school at five to six and start playing football just outside of where I live. I can even tell Friday night from the loud music playing downstairs. The pub gets really noisy between nine to eleven. Silence only come after midnight.
Ah … isn’t that wonderful?
So next time, try this.
Me : Where and when shall we meet tomorrow?
You : Body Shop after lunch.
Life can be so much relaxing. Don’t you think so?
Talk about asking question, I am sure at one point in time, one must have faced this question.
– I’ve got one good news and one bad news, which one would you like to hear first?
This really could have been another “Interactive Question of the Week”. The result I beg is half half.
But only recently do I realised that one should always listen to the good news first. By listening to the good news first, the chances that you may feel less depress over the bad one is pretty high. Listening to the bad one first may make the good news less wonderful. What do you think?
And of course, the assumption is that : given a chance to be happy or not to be, the majority should choose to be, consciously.
Excuse me. Suddenly my bio-clock has told me that it is about time to rest. So till the next time we interact, take care.
Wilf.numb@Jakarta