Today, would like to share a little politics humour at home.
A little boy goes to his dad and asks, ‘What is Politics?’
Dad says, ‘Well, son, let me try to explain it this way:
I am the head of the family, so call me The Prime Minister.
Your mother is the administrator of the money, so we call her the Government.
We are here to take care of your needs, so we will call you the People.
The nanny, we will consider her the Working Class..
And your baby brother, we will call him the Future.
Now think about that and see if it makes sense.
The little boy goes off to bed thinking about what Dad had said.
Later that night, he hears his baby brother crying, so he gets up to check up on him.
He finds that the baby has severely soiled his nappy/diaper.
So the little boy goes to his parents’ room and finds his mother asleep.
Not wanting to wake her up, he goes to the nanny’s room. Finding the door locked, he peeks in the keyhole and sees his father in bed with the nanny. He gives up and goes back to bed. The next morning, the little boy says to his father, ‘Dad, I think I understand the concept of politics now.’ The father says, ‘Good, son, tell me in your own words what you think politics is all about.’
The little boy replies, ‘The Prime Minister is screwing the Working Class while the Government is sound asleep. The People are being ignored and the Future is in deep shit.’
So parents, be aware of what you tell your children. They pick up fast and use it appropriately.
Many of us have a variety of friends who are all different in characters Some of them have flaws but so do I It is an art to get on with them all Every friend helps to bring out a “different” part of me . . . With some of them, I am polite and as refined as I can be
I joke a lot with another. I talk about serious matters with others. With another I laugh a lot. I share a glass of wine with one and dance on occasion with another.
I listen to one friend’s problems and give her advice
Then I listen to another advising me. They are all like pieces of a jigsaw, When completed they form a treasure box. A treasure of friends! They are my friends who understand me better than I myself do, Who support me through good days and bad days.
They are the anti-depressants that I need to make it through life. Doctors tell us that friends are good for our health. Dr. Oz calls them Vitamins F (for Friends) and recounts the many benefits of Friends to our well being. Research shows that people in strong social circles have less risk of Depression and terminal strokes.
If you take Vitamin F constantly, you can be a lot younger than your physical age.
The warmth of friendship reduces stress and can decrease your risk of cardiac arrest or stroke. We should all value our friends and keep in touch with them.
And continue to make new friends.
I’m fortunate to have a plentiful stock of Vitamin F!
Today, would like to share a note to those borne in the 50s, 60s and early 70s . . .
First, we survived with mothers who had no maids. They cooked and cleaned while taking care of us at the same time.
They took aspirin, candy floss, fizzy drinks, shaved ice with syrups and diabetes were rare. Salt added to Pepsi or Coke was remedy for fever. We drank water from the tap and NOT from a bottle.
We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we wore no helmets.
As children, we would ride with our parents on bicycles or motorcycles for 2 or 3. Richer ones get in cars with no seat belts or air bags. Riding in the back of a private taxi was a special treat.
We would spend hours on the fields under bright sunlight flying our kites, without worrying about the UV ray which never seem to affect us. We went to the jungle to catch spiders without worries of Aedes mosquitoes.
With mere 5 pebbles (stones) would be an endless game. With a ball (tennis ball best) we boys would run like crazy for hours. We caught guppies in drains or canals and when it rained, we swam there.
We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and NO ONE actually worried about being unhygienic. We ate salty, very sweet and oily food, candies, bread and real butter. We also drank very sweet soft drinks, sweet coffee or tea, eat ice kacang but we weren’t overweight because……. WE WERE OFTEN OUT PLAYING!!
We would leave home in the morning and play all day, till street lights came on. No one was able to reach us all day. WE DID NOT HAVE HANDPHONE S TO BUG US. We were O.K. AND WE WERE SAFE.
We would spend hours repairing our old bicycles and wooden scooters out of scraps and then ride down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem .
We did not have Playstations, X-boxes, Nintendo’s, multiple channels on cable TV, DVD movies, no surround sound, no phones, no personal computers, no Internet. WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found them!
We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and we still continued the stunts. We rode bikes or walked to a friend’s house and just yelled for them!
The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law!
We never had birthdays parties till we were 21. Yet this generation has produced some of the best risk-takers, problem solvers and inventors ever! The past 40 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas.
We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned . . . HOW TO DEAL WITH IT ALL!
To all these baby boomers, YOU are one of them and CONGRATULATIONS!
So parents, share this note with your kids so they will know how adventurous brave their parents were.
It has been 6 months since I ended my marriage of 27 years last August 2009. Life has been wonderful to me and there are 2 kinds of reactions that I get:The one from my “in-laws” is hostile.I am barred from all family gatherings from his side.Nonetheless, my 2 sister-in-laws (ex-brother-in-laws’ wives) are still in touch with me.Occasionally, we will go for meals and catch-up on what is happening.
My own family has been very supportive, especially my children.They are sensitive kids and I really want to thank them for helping me through this period. My stand is that he is still their father and he is welcome to join any family functions where the children are involved.Other than my children’s birthdays and mine, he has avoided other functions involving my other family members.
For my mum, accepting the separation initially was a pain to her.She has since accepted the fact and seeing me cheerful again was a consolation to her. My own siblings had been supportive in their silent ways, respecting my decision.
For the past one year, close friends who knew about my relationship challenge have been giving me moral support. I really appreciate the time they had taken to accommodate me when I was down.
The painful decision took me one year to deliberate after weighing the pros and cons.Without financial, emotional and physical support from your spouse and still burden with taking care of 4 children, the strain was too much to bear.I broke down in Dec 2008 where I left home for 2 nights, just to think things over.We went through 2 rounds of counseling with the situation remaining status quo.That’s when I make the decision . . .
And what have I been doing these past 6 months . . .
I was involved in the Parenting Conference held on 23 Jan 2010 where preparation started way back in Sep 2009.The event was supported by 2 government bodies.We had more than 10 sponsors and the team of 7 really worked our heart out.
In Nov 2009, I was offered a job in a bookstore and started worked in Dec 2009.After 2 months’ probation, my boss confirmed my appointment.This is the third month and I am still negotiating for more pay to compensate for the amount of time I spend in the company.Very positive environment and I kind of like it.
In Dec 2009, I also took on the role of co-ordinator with a secondary school.Something new to me but I am one person who enjoys learning new things.
Life is short and I still look on to every day as a new day.Every one has a choice how they want to live and I have chosen mine.The years ahead may get lonelier when my children start they own families.Well, who knows . . . I may find a second Mr Right.Ha ha . . .
I read with interest 2 articles in today’s Straits Times – Mind and Body section:
Retire, but keep working on Page 2 and
Working retirees in better health on Page 5
I cannot agree more. After retirement, one must continue to work in some ways to stay active. That way, you will also be in better health.
3 years ago, I opted for early retirement with my company of more than 30 years. I remembered my HR Manager telling me: “June, you are still young. Why do you want to retire?” My answer was: “I have given 30 years of my life with this company. I want to try new things and do things that I like.”
Well, I must say the last 3 years have been very fulfilling for me. I have been working part-time to get things going as I still have 3 school going children. During this time, I also learn many new things and made many new friends.
What I would like to share is you have a choice. Be it wealth, career, health, family, knowledge and social aspects, you decide what you want. For me, my concentration is on health, family and knowledge.
For healthy living, I practise Reiki and watch my diet. Reiki has helped my physical being to look younger and rid me of many ailments. As for diet, have been dishing out salads and simple delicious meals which my family enjoys.
For family, I am glad that I am able to spend more time with my mum who is catching up life in her 70s. For my children, I am pleased to see them growing up to be confident and mature kids.
For knowledge, this is a never ending journey. New found interest was acting with Theatre For Seniors with The Necessary Stage since March 2008. We will be staging another public performance in March 2010.
So Singapore parents who are thinking of retirement, do plan and stay active. That’s the way to go . . .
Yesterday, I was at 8Q, Singapore Art Museum and did an art piece using some of my past articles and photographs. The invitation was by Felicia Low who was tasked to do visual arts from people relating what they want to do with their lives.
I shared on My 100 successes, Reflections for Year 2008, Half A Century Old and Remembering My Dad.
At this point of time, I want to live life to the fullest, enjoy what I do and follow my heart.The 3 things I want to focus on are:
vTo do more training – with my NPL certification, I would like to help willing parties improve their lives;
vTo write more articles on health and parenting topics which I am passionate to share with other parents;
vTo continue to use my ‘magic’ hands and apply Reiki to those in need.
So parents, do make a trip down to 8Q, 8 Queens Street Level 3, Felicia Low’s My Space and see my ‘master’ piece.The exhibition is on until Dec 2009.
I have heard this story many times. Whenever I am down, I would recall the lesson drawn from it.
Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room.
One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help drain the fluid from his lungs. His bed was next to the room’s only window.
The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back. The men talked for hours on end. They spoke of their wives and families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military service, where they had been on vacation.
Every afternoon when the man in the bed by the window could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window.
The man in the other bed began to live for those one hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and colour of the world outside.
The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake. Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats. Young lovers walked arm in arm amidst flowers of every colour and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance.As the man by the window described all this in exquisite detail, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine the picturesque scene.
One warm afternoon the man by the window described a parade passing by.
Although the other man couldn’t hear the band – he could see it. In his mind’s eye as the gentleman by the window portrayed it with descriptive words.
Days and weeks passed.
One morning, the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths only to find the lifeless body of the man by the window, who had died peacefully in his sleep. She was saddened and called the hospital attendants to take the body away.
As soon as it seemed appropriate, the other man asked if he could be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the switch, and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone.
Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look at the real world outside. He strained to slowly turn to look out the window beside the bed.
It faced a blank wall.
The man asked the nurse what could have compelled his deceased roommate who had described such wonderful things outside this window.
The nurse responded that the man was blind and could not even see the wall.She said, “Perhaps he just wanted to encourage you.”
Epilogue:
There is tremendous happiness in making others happy, despite our own situations. Shared grief is half the sorrow, but happiness when shared, is doubled. If you want to feel rich, just count all the things you have that money can’t buy.
So parents, do share the story with your loved ones.
George Carlin is 102 years old and below are his views on ageing:
Do you realise that the only time in our lives when we like to get old is when we’re kids? If you’re less than 10 years old, you’re so excited about ageing that you think in fractions.
‘How old are you?’ ‘I’m four and a half!’ You’re never thirty-six and a half. You’re four and a half, going on five! That’s the key
You get into your teens, now they can’t hold you back. You jump to the next number, or even a few ahead.
‘How old are you?’ ‘I’m gonna be 16!’ You could be 13, but hey, you’re gonna be 16! And then the greatest day of your life …. . You become 21. Even the words sound like a ceremony. YOU BECOME 21. YESSSS!!!
But then you turn 30. Oooohh, what happened there? Makes you sound like bad milk! He TURNED; we had to throw him out. There’s no fun now, you’re Just a sour-dumpling. What’s wrong? What’s changed?
You BECOME 21, you TURN 30, then you’re PUSHING 40. Whoa! Put on the brakes, it’s all slipping away. Before you know it, you REACH 50 and your dreams are gone.
But wait!!! You MAKE it to 60. You didn’t think you would!
So you BECOME 21, TURN 30, PUSH 40, REACH 50 and MAKE it to 60.
You’ve built up so much speed that you HIT 70! After that it’s a day-by-day thing; you HIT Wednesday!
You get into your 80′s and every day is a complete cycle; you HIT lunch; you TURN 4:30 ; you REACH bedtime. And it doesn’t end there Into the 90s, you start going backwards; ‘I Was JUST 92.’
Then a strange thing happens. If you make it over 100, you become a little kid again. ‘I’m 100 and a half!’
May you all make it to a healthy 100 and a half!!
HOW TO STAY YOUNG
1. Throw out nonessential numbers. This includes age, weight and height. Let the doctors worry about them. That is why you pay ‘them’
2.. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down.
3. Keep learning. Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever. Never let the brain idle. ‘An idle mind is the devil’s workshop.’ And the devil’s name is Alzheimer’s.
4. Enjoy the simple things.
5.. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath.
6. The tears happen.. Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person, who is with us our entire life, is ourselves.. Be ALIVE while you are alive.
7. Surround yourself with what you love , whether it’s family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever. Your home is your refuge.
8. Cherish your health: If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.
9. Don’t take guilt trips. Take a trip to the mall, even to the next county; to a foreign country but NOT to where the guilt is.
10. Tell the people you love that you love them, at every opportunity.
AND ALWAYS REMEMBER :
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.
So Singapore parents, hope you find the above tips useful and enlightening.
This is what Andy Rooney thinks about women over 40: “As I grow in age, I value women over 40 most of all. Here are just a few reasons why”:
A woman over 40 will never wake you in the middle of the night and ask, ‘What are you thinking?’ She doesn’t care what you think. If a woman over 40 doesn’t want to watch the game, she doesn’t sit around whining about it. She does something she wants to do, and it’s usually more interesting.
Women over 40 are dignified. They seldom have a screaming match with you at the opera or in the middle of an expensive restaurant. Of course, if you deserve it, they won’t hesitate to shoot you if they think they can get away with it.
Older women are generous with praise, often undeserved. They know what it’s like to be unappreciated. Women get psychic as they age. You never have to confess your sins to a woman over 40. Once you get past a wrinkle or two, a woman over 40 is far sexier than her younger counterpart.
Older women are forthright and honest. They’ll tell you right off if you are a jerk if you are acting like one. You don’t ever have to wonder where you stand with her. Yes, we praise women over 40 for a multitude of reasons. Unfortunately, it’s not reciprocal. For every stunning, smart, well-coiffed, hot woman over 40, there is a bald, paunchy relic in yellow pants making a fool of himself with some 22-year old waitress. Ladies, I apologize.
For all those men who say, ‘Why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free?’, here’s an update for you. Nowadays 80% of women are against marriage. Why? Because women realize it’s not worth buying an entire bull just to get a little sausage!
To all the women above 40, treasure yourself as you advance each year!
This is Week 26 of the year. It means there are another 26 more to go before end of 2007.
Well, the most delightful event this week was attending the Reiki session with my husband, 2nd sister and a colleague. It was at Le Meridien Orchard.
Besides the regulars, I also get to meet new participants. This bunch is rather quiet but with lots of questions to ask. Master Kevin was ever so pleasing to answer any concerns and doubts. As usual, she was full of energy during the 2 and half days.
For me, every review serves as a new beginning. Hope this is also the same for my husband and sister. Both still seem receptive towards the end of the session. I sincerely wish them the best in self-discovery and in improving their own well being.
The next delight is that the maid finally came for my mum on 29/6 Saturday. I have yet to see her. Will do so tomorrow.
For the woe, I miss my own target by 1 enrolment for June, having only 9. Must really try harder this month.
on 18/6 Monday, helped in giving talk to Pri 1 to Pri 3 on Creative Writing at NUSS Guild House. It was a one-day workshop full of activities for the children. There was story-telling, continuation of the story and writing their own story. Majority enjoyed the session except one boy named Justin.
On 19/6 Tuesday, did facilitation at GSK again, this time at Pioneer Road. More pariticipation with home-made snacks which the audience enjoyed.
On 20/6, was at mum’s place from 11 am – 6 pm. Thereafter, proceeded to Toa Payoh for the One-on-One presentation course. Tiring day but enriching.
On 21/6, was at Bishan again on WINGS autobiography session. The topic was on coping death. It was a heavy subject but all were willing to share.
On 23/6, it was BBQ time at Trellis Tower for the scholars of Cedar Girls Secondary School. More than 100 people turned up in support of the event. Many parents chipped in with home-cooked food. 4 of us were there for Li Jing, my adopted scholar.
This week, 2 more enrolments. That means, another 2 more to make 10. I am still hopeful.
On 11/6 Monday, had lunch with another ex-colleague at Cafe Cartel at City Hall. The food is just moderate. Ambience is quite good though,
On 12/6 afternoon, was a facilitator at GSK Quality outlet for a talk on “Keep Your Relationship Going Hot”. The turn out was 30 people.
On 13/6, kept mum company and even stayed overnight while my sister was on assignment.
On 14/6 afternoon, went to Bishan for the WINGS’ autobiography session. Pleased to share with the regulars on the topic of health.
For the weekend, was at Toa Payoh receiving guests for the complimentary workshop. Did also the duty of a child minder assistant. Rather fun meeting the little ones and cheering them up.
For the woe, although quite a number of families turned up, none enrolled this week. Two of them wanted to re-consider before commiting. Will have to follow up . . .
This week, I had better luck on the enrolments. To date, already 6. My target is 10 every month. With another 2 more weeks to go, the chances are very high.
The next delight is on 9/6 where I finally got to speak to the public. The topic was “Family Bonding Through Fun and Fitness”. The venue is at StarDus Clubhouse, River Valley Road. An audience of about 30 turned up. Though it was only an hour talk, I was able to share with the teenagers and parents on:
The growing stages
Family culture
Questions children ask
Family love affair
From the evaluation forms collected, I have quite good ratings. This is a good start and I look forward to more of these assignments. Was glad that my little girl and my eldest brother was there to give me moral support.
For the woe, we are still waiting for the replacement maid to come in. For days that we could not keep our mum company, she is left alone.
This week, I have more woes than delight. My mood is very much affected by my dad’s 1st death anniversary on 31/5. All members of the family were at the Toa Payoh temple to pay our respects. I still miss him terribly . . .
Also, a client of mine wanted full refund after enrolment. After much discussion, she finally agreed to proceed with the program. Was glad I could apply some of the Education Success Coaching strategies during the process. Questions such as how and what were asked instead of whys.
The only delight this week is on 1/6 when I attended the monthly gathering at YMCA for The Society of Singapore Writers. One of the members shared her book on the life of a professor who lived like a gypsy. She had improved the lifes of these people by providing education and other cultural aspects. It’s really amazing how she is willing to sacrifice her life to do this as a mission.
There is more happening this week. First, the delights:
Was at Temasek JC to give talks to Sec 3 and Sec 4 students on 14/5 and 15/5 on Family Bonding. These pupils were recruited under the Integrated Programme where they need not go through the ‘O’ level exams. In the Sec 4 class, a few of them came from Cedar Girls and there actually know my youngest girl. Yu Sin.
15/5 was also my husband’s birthday. This is one celebration that my eldest girl was not with us, still enjoying her back-packing in Europe. Nonetheless, we took him out for dinner at Rendezvous Hotel.
Had my monthly massage done on 14/5 and facial on 16/5. As always, I feel good after that.
On 17/5, it was my first session of Guided Autobiography writing with WINGS (Women’s Initiative of Aging Successfully). I sure had fun sharing with those present.
On 18/5, had dinner with my ex-colleague. We had vegetarian food at Beach Road. Thereafter, coffee at Starbucks. We had a wonderful time eating and chatting.
19/5 was my youngest sister’s birthday who lamently joined the 40 age group. Still happy-go-lucky and enjoying her spinstership.
As for the woe, I have yet gotten any enrolment for this month thus far. Will have to try harder next week.
