" 'Consider these two stories. Which is closer to yours? You wake up everyday and work from Monday to Friday, and often Saturday too. If you finish your work early, you and your partner go to your parents' place for dinner and see your children for a few hours. If you work late, you buy a packet of char kway teow from the hawker centre... You're not crazy about your job but you know that if you keep it, you can afford a car in three years' time and, in five years' time, buy a condo. Your conversations with people are either for the purpose of networking, work or for familial obligations you cannot avoid. On weekends, you play golf with your friends at your country club or watch a movie with your partner. Once a year, you go on a 10-day vacation to New York, London or Paris.
Alternatively, you wake up and you have no idea what is going to happen today, tomorrow, six months or a year later. Ironically, because of this uncertainty, all possibilities exist for you. You can be prime minister of Singapore, you can make a movie, you can cook a meal you have never cooked before... you can skip instead of walk. You have conversations with people who set your heart palpitating and your mind on fire. Your weekday is no different from your weekend because everyday you are thinking, creating and, more important, imagining.
Most of us recognise the first story and its pursuit of the five C's.... It is the Plan, which imposes a conculsion on you, and you work in order to make all the pieces fit... A Dream, on the other hand, carries you on its wings to worlds that your heart and mind have never known.' "
The above is adapted from from 'Thinking Allowed? politics, fear and change in Singapore' by Warren Fernandez (without prior permission, as usual). The book is a collection of essays drawn from the 'Thinking Aloud' columns on Singapore politics and society published in The Straits Times. These essays delve into the recurrent themes and issues that Singaporeans have been grappling with over the years, and are likely to do so for a long time to come.
'Thinking Allowed?' and other books discussing the issues of Singapore are available in all major bookstores and the National Library. Searching for the particular book you want to borrow has never been easier since donkey years ago. Just log on to eLibraryHub (www.elibraryhub.com), sign up as a member for free and start looking for the book you want. Reserve it at a nominal fee and have it collected at any library convenient for you.
Reminder: First-time voters, we soon will be. In the meantime, think aloud on the above adaptation or adaption, whatever you call it.
1 comment:
Do you know an idea that came out of your head have to go through so many filter process by the government before it could reach the decision makers? Its likes passing your suggestion to the manager, than from the manager to the boss, from the boss to the Director, from the director to the CEO. At every stage, it could get rejected before it could reach the eyes and ears or someone with higher authority. Either we go on a peaceful demostration to get the message across or be among those who sit near the top of the heirachy, thus no need to go through so many decision making stage.
Post a Comment