Wednesday, August 30, 2006
The Spidey Dilemma

A couple of nights ago, I went to meet up for dinner with Iceman and Bishop. The latter had come back from Dalian, China for a short break back in Singapore and will be going back to the mainland soon to complete his stint there. Anyway, it was a pleasant dinner, blah blah blah, I am not really particularly interested in talking about the dinner itself because there wasn't much to talk about there. But something we talked about there is a lead-in to this post.

Bishop was talking about his work experiences in China and so on and so forth, and Iceman was commenting that he'd like to venture to China eventually (honestly, as would I). Along the way, he also mentioned about how when he came back to Singapore, he found that a lot of things had happened (so and so having cancer, so and so having passed away), how his mum was admittedly maybe "suffering" because of his absence and then Bishop exclaimed that,"Well, life just moves really quickly. We should just follow our dreams and do what we want." I admittedly did a slight double-take on that statement...because I disagreed with it.

I make no secret of the fact that one day, I'd like to move abroad to work and experience life in a different time, place and culture. And I make no secret of my wish to quit the civil service and start anew with diminished pay and accordingly, lifestyle cutbacks. But it will not likely happen in the prime years of my life when the opportunity is the greatest and best. For I have my responsibilities here. I have my parents, who are aboslutely dependent on me to take care of them and who could press the wrong channel on the TV, receive a blank screen and wait for me the whole day just for me to return to "fix" the TV. Is it over-reliance? Possibly. Do I gripe? Yes. But it is something I will always do because I am needed to.

In Spider-man 2, Peter Parker battled constantly with his inner desires and responsilities. He knew people needed him to be what he was and to do what he did and because of the needs that others had put onto his shoulders, he has had to give up leading an everyday existence and also his love to bear these burdens. Eventually, he still gets his girl...but that's in the movies. And life isn't reel.

I am not saying that I am Spiderman, nor conspicuously, are any of us. But how many of us have had to give up what we want in order to do what others need us to. A self-sacrificing public persona like Spiderman is easy to love but I think, there's a heroism in the simple gesture of serving others in mundane daily slogging and relinquishing the choice of kicking back and simply following one's desires. It is a surrender that can be wearisome on the body, mind and soul, especially at a time and age when self-actualisation is the buzzword.

What am I saying? I am celebrating everybody (and that includes ALL of you) reading this blog, who has done that little something for anyone out of a conscious choice that he/she helped because he/she simply could. Little slices of heroism like these make life better and that much easier to tolerate...as much as a grand Spiderman rescue act would.

And for my part, I also proclaim a heartfelt thank you to each and every single person, who have given bestowed upon me your little piece of sunshine to make me smile, that helping hand to help me back up or just that shoulder to lean on, when I have been crippled and couldn't walk on my own.

God bless you.