Desiderata

Go placidly amid the noise and the haste,

and remember what peace there may be in silence.

As far as possible, without surrender,

be on good terms with all persons.

Speak your truth quietly and clearly;

and listen to others,

even to the dull and the ignorant;

they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons;

they are vexatious to the spirit.

If you compare yourself with others,

you may become vain or bitter,

for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.

Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.

Keep interested in your own career, however humble;

it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs,

for the world is full of trickery.

But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;

many persons strive for high ideals,

and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection.

Neither be cynical about love,

for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment,

it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years,

gracefully surrendering the things of youth.

Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.

But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.

Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline,

be gentle with yourself.

You are a child of the universe

no less than the trees and the stars;

you have a right to be here.

And whether or not it is clear to you,

no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God,

whatever you conceive Him to be.

And whatever your labors and aspirations,

in the noisy confusion of life,

keep peace in your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,

it is still a beautiful world.

Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.

this came to me at a very apt time. it appeals so much to the anxious, frustrated and jaded me during this period of time that i just had to post it up. ought to be some guide to life.

my take on religion.
read this and see how paul arden is such a wise man.

If Tomorrow Never Comes

If I knew it would be the last time
that I'd see you fall asleep,
I would tuck you in more tightly,
and pray the Lord your soul to keep.
If I knew it would be the last time
that I'd see you walk out the door,
I would give you a hug and kiss,
and call you back for just one more.

If I knew it would be the last time
I'd hear your voice lifted up in praise,
I would tape each word and action,
and play them back throughout my days
If I knew it would be the last time,
I would spare an extra minute or two,
To stop and say "I love you,"
instead of assuming you know I do.

So, just in case tomorrow never comes,
and today is all I get,
I'd like to say how much I love you,
and I hope we never will forget.
Tomorrow is not promised to anyone,
young or old alike,
And today may be the last chance
you get to hold your loved one tight.

So, if you're waiting for tomorrow,
why not do it today?
For if tomorrow never comes,
you'll surely regret the day
That you didn't take that extra time
for a smile, a hug, or a kiss,
And you were too busy to grant someone,
what turned out to be their one last wish.

So hold your loved ones close today,
and whisper in their ear,
That you love them very much,
and you'll always hold them dear.
Take time to say
"I'm sorry," "Please forgive me," "thank you" or "it's okay".
And if tomorrow never comes,
you'll have no regrets about today.

By Norma Marek


A poem about appreciating each day as it comes. something i try to do but don't always succeed at. also something that many people do not realise they aren't doing until it's too late.

last night, as usual, i took a cab home from aud's place. the driver was middle aged and looked to be of staunch muslim background, with the beard, prayer cap and muslim hymns playing from his phone. i expected the ride to be pretty quiet, us being of such diverse backgrounds. but surprisingly, he was friendly, chatty and spoke well.

me: uncle, just started work?
uncle: no la. i usually don't work on weekends. but today i wanted the car to send my family around. now i'm just making a few extra rounds to maximise the rent before going home to rest already. so you working tomorrow?
me: haven't started work yet. will start in august. ---usual talk about economy and jobs--- cannot be too picky these days right? unless you're very smart OR marry a rich husband lor.
uncle: ---amused chuckles--- ya. actually, what do you think these rich people look for?
me: i'm not sure also. usually the smart and rich ones always end up together right?
uncle: ya true... but i think maybe some might be so rich that whether wife smart or rich doesn't matter. there are those who look for beauty or someone who can be a good housewife. aiyar, some things cannot control also. it's called fate. last time i courted a girl for EIGHT years. in the end also broke up. then, i met my wife for only one year and we got married. sometimes, you think so much also no use. in the end it's up to fate.
me: ---jokingly--- then your wife how? never make noise about your old girlfriend??
uncle: haha... let bygones be bygones. you know, it's all about the feeling.

all along i've been wondering how people determine how serious or committed they should be in a relationship and have only come close to a vague idea. and here's a taxi uncle who, in this simple manner, gave me something as close and as clear to an answer as i can get.

i love children and how expressive, candid, spontaneous and real they are. even with a limited vocab. no hiding, no privacy infringements, no secrets, no distrust, no elaborate thoughts and plans and losing the moment. sir robinson, a famous educator in the uk, suggested we do not learn creativity, we are schooled out of it then make attempts to pick it up later. perhaps similarly, we do not discover ourselves, we lose ourselves learning to be something/someone else and then one day decide to embark on the search for the True Self.

sometimes good advice comes from the most unexpected of people. people whom you thought you'd never receive advice from again because of all the time that has passed in between. whatever it is, i'm just thankful for it and the nice memories it brought back.

how nice it would be for the mind to transcend the body. ideas and thoughts would no longer be limited/constrained by a material shell. all that is beautiful and monstrous would be out for everyone to see. the world would be such a dramatic, albeit chaotic, interesting place. perhaps vulnerability would cease to exist once people become desensitized to criticism. or maybe people would become jaded, cynical and suicidal.
hmm.. fancy fantasizing about an alternative reality when there's a paper at 5. back to work!

postsecrets this week's rather endearing, it being the "valentine's day" week. i particularly like these two. (even though the first one's not very nice. :p)