Reflections on this day

              Today I turned one year older, although chronologically I am a year older, in actual fact, I am aging each day of my life.  Time and tide waits for no man (or woman) and I am fortunate to have a wonderful wife and good children as the foundation for me to focus life's goals on. At times, I do get frustrated when the children do not appreciate the things and the privileged life which they have. But in hindsight, I also had the privilege of a very fortunate childhood and young adulthood, mainly thanks to my parents who instilled upon me values such as honesty,working hard for a living, respecting my parents and superiors and being modest. I am also grateful to them for instilling the competitive spirit in my attitude, although that trait is probably inborn. They gave me the exposure to swimming competitively, karate for discipline and also many travels from as young an age as 10 years old.


               The well -off  youth of today have never had it so good, they are travelling as early as infants, have been to perhaps 4 - 5 continents by the time they are young adults or in their mid 20s. And, judging from my birthday dinner at a swanky Chinese restaurant in town this evening, many young people are also able to afford dinners at top class restaurants of all cuisines in Singapore. 


So the young people it appears - or the 'strawberry generation' soft and bruise easily, are


a) materialistic - they want the best things in life NOW   
b) well off - can buy a sports car (from their parents money of course), fancy meals and 
     take exotic holidays and visit the most 'happening' night spots to blow away their parents 
    money.
c) have no real direction in life because everything is laid out or prepared for them


           How lucky these young people are !!  But how many sports cars, or holidays, or fancy meals does one take before he is sick of this ? See what good has Paris Hilton or Lindsay
Lohan brought to themselves and their families. Party girls and boys become an embarrassment after their shelf life has gone out. Its time for them to look at what life is or are they too full of drugs and alcohol even to analyse their sorry state.


          But many times these young people do not know it. They assume everyone is like them and feel that this life is the norm. But the reality of it all, is that in Singapore, the income inequality is huge between the rich and the poor. There are many young people who cannot afford even 3 basic meals a day, and only eat 1 meal. Many live with some relatives or move from place to place if the parents divorce or domestic problems cannot be settled. Many families live from 'hand to mouth'.


         Its time to put things to perspective. I would like to teach my children and myself that selflessness is an ideal, and helping the poor will give us an insight into what our lives really mean to us.    


         Its time to get real about the hard reality of life.