Dreams Come Alive

I was at Sentosa for a staycation last weekend and two events came as a timely self-check.

At one of the monorail stations was a long queue of people. As a train pulled in the hordes surged forward and the compartment quickly filled up. A family was just in front of me, the mother pushing a bulky pram containing a sleeping child. The little one’s serene slumber contrasted with the frenetic noise all around him. Trying to squeeze her way into an empty space in the tight compartment, the mother got the pram stuck against a railing. There was no way through and no way back. Out of the crowds emerged a pair of hands emerged and adjusted the front of the pram so the mother could wheel it in. She capped her actions with a smile. While everyone else simply stood and stared at the mother and baby, this girl chose to reach out and help.

The second episode took place at Resorts World Sentosa. After being given sent on a wild goose chase by a condescending, suited employee of the hotel, we found ourselves at the basement carpark. This was far from where we wanted to be. Two young carpark attendants on their way for break sensed our distress and offered to help. They then proceeded to escort us all the way across the other side of the resort to the exit we were looking for. Along the way they played guide, pointing out the various attractions and restaurants. It took a big chunk off their precious break, but they thought nothing of going out of the way to help us.

The young lady in the first instance was dressed in a skimpy pair of shorts and T-shirt which exposed ample tattoos on her arms and legs. The two young men turned out to be students in the Institute of Education (ITE), commonly disparaged as the place for failures.

I do not need to go into how we might typically label people with a certain physical appearance or from a certain school. In fact I would be lying if I said that I never harboured any judgements about them. But I am glad to have some of my assumptions proved wrong that weekend. It was a reminder to look past the superficial at the beauty that lies within each and every single person.

What about you? Is there someone you are living and working with whom you have made up your mind about? If you were to put that assessment aside for just one moment, what gem could you uncover about him/her?

 Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves. Carl Jung