Poor but happy.......

I was only a little boy when this story was told to me. Here it goes....

In a small village, lived two families. One was rich with a big house and his neighbour was poor. The rich family children were weak and lazy, whereas the poor family children were strong and active. One day the rich man asked his neighbouring friend, what food did he gave to nourish his children who were full of life all the time. The poor man replied, we could not afford much for the kids. Our regular meals were rice and vegetables only. Every meal was taken when you served yours. Because the smell and aroma of your well cooked food from your kitchen side, gave us the appetite to eat. Hearing this explanation, the rich man was furious. He felt that the neighbour had stolen the best out of his meals from smelling. Leaving nothing for his children to benefit, and thus they were weak and inactive.

Not satisfied, the rich man charged the poor man from stealing without consent. He was brought to the court where the judge listened. Was the poor man found guilty? Yes! The judge fined one thousand dollars on him. For a moment the rich man was over joyed, while the poor man cried for mercy coz he had no money to pay. Out of pity, the judge took out his one thousand dollars all in notes and handled to the poor man. The judge instructed him to count the cash and insisted that he had to count with his voice raised for everyone to hear. So it went like...One hundred, two hundred, three hundred until he reached the one thousand count. The rich man was excited because he could see and hear the counting. After the total count, the judge requested to return the money back to him. Everyone was puzzled, more so would be the rich man who was confused. He asked, isn't the money meant for me your honour. The judge said Yes! He had given you already when you were hearing the counting of the hundred to the thousand. The logic was like he smelling your food when he actually didn't steal and now he didn't physically give you the cash but you took them from him by listening and hearing. Case closed! The poor man was over joyed now and the rich man was frustrated.

Moral of the story. I was taught since young, whether we are rich or poor, the most important factor of life is to be happy and be contented with what we have. You might be the richest person in town but without a happy and contented heart, no food would be tasty to the mouth.

A powerful statement - “He who is contented is rich” - Lao Tzu quotes

A Judge's Dilemma.....

In a small town, a person decided to open up a brothel, which was right opposite to a church. The church and its congregation started a campaign to block the brothel from opening with petitions and prayed daily against his business.

Work progressed. However, when it was almost complete and was about to open a few days later, a strong lightning struck the brothel and it was burnt to the ground.

The church folks were rather smug in their outlook after that, till the brothel owner sued the church authorities on the grounds that the church through its congregation and prayers was ultimately responsible for the destruction of his brothel, either through direct or indirect actions or means.

In its reply to the court, the church vehemently denied all responsibility or any connection that their prayers were reasons for the act of God. As the case made its way into court, the judge looked over the paperwork at the hearing and commented:

"I don't know how I'm going to decide this case, but it appears from the paperwork, we have a brothel owner who believes in the power of prayer and we have an entire church that doesn't."

Love Affairs

A married man was having an affair with his secretary.

One day they went to her place and made love all afternoon.

Exhausted, they fell asleep and woke up at 8 PM.

The man hurriedly dressed and told his lover to take his shoes outside and rub them in the grass and dirt.

He put on his shoes and drove home.

'Where have you been?' his wife demanded.

'I can't lie to you,' he replied,

'I'm having an affair with my secretary. We had sex all afternoon.'

She looked down at his shoes and said: 'You lying bastard! You've been playing golf!'

Pampering too much on our children.

Yesterday i was talking about our children and i haven't finished this topic yet. The more i see them, the more i feel so sad for them.

Only yesterday itself, this was what i witnessed. A client i hadn't seen for three years, invited me to her beautiful new house. Its so huge and spacious, it looks almost like a villa to me. They made it there because the husband is an extremely a successful and a wealthy business man. I was introduced to his eldest son who is 30 years young and had graduated with two degrees. Though the house is built with a lovely big swimming pool plus a first class gym or fitness centre, the son is overweight in physical. What a waste with such health facilities provided by the father!!! Ever since he came back from abroad, he hasn't been working yet. Perhaps he needs not work!

Next! I have another good friend whose son is already 18 of age and currently studying for his A level locally. Everyday his parents have to take turn to chauffeur him to classes. On checking with this boy, he has never been allowed to go out by himself alone. He hasn't experienced the thrill of taking buses or train to roam around for fun or meeting his friends outside home. The father is a medical doctor who is sending him to study in England next year. Being not good on streetwise, i wonder how the son could be able to cope up when he is alone there soon. I only have to blame his father for pampering his child too much.

Next! A father had to take leave away from his important job to drive his daughter for her year end examination. In between the morning and afternoon session papers, he waited nearby to provide meals and drinks for her. Mind you! The daughter is already 18 of age too. He claimed it's unsafe to let her child to move out alone. What a protective father is he?

I can tell you more. Is alarming to see how our young children are being brought up in such pampered way. They are almost like being spoon fed all the way from baby to adulthood. Yes! They could be intelligence academically but i doubt they would be smart on the road to fence for themselves later in their lives. All these won't have happened if only the parents had not spoiled their own children.

In religious point of view - "A father without a rod is no father at all. A father without discipline is no father at all."

The unwanted coins.

As usual i like having my morning breakfast at a nearby coffee shop. Little darling would know my favourite dish is the 'wan tan mee'. Though it might not be as tasty as the yesteryear one, this shop has the best food courts around my house.

After taking my food and was about to walk out of the shop, an old lady who was sitting next to my table, patted my shoulder to indicate that i had forgotten to collect my change of ten cents which was left on it. I turned back and without hesitation i took this little change. At the same time i stopped to thank you this customer for being kind enough to remind me.

Over the next few minutes, i shared some of my experiences to those customers around. They eagerly listened to my story. When i was a small boy, my mum would always insist that i should pick whatever coins and shillings that were lying on roads outside. The smallest denomination was the one cent coin which would have no value then. Unless you had the combination of 5 one cent to make it as five cent, perhaps you might be able to buy a sweet. Mum would be angry if we didn't pick those unwanted coins found. She said it was sinfull and shameful not to pick those money. Mind you, her advice still remains in my mind.

Not today any longer! Children of today have no feeling for coins, they prefer the notes, especially the five, ten or fifty dollar denominations. There are those five and ten cent coins strayed all over the road pavements, no children would be bother to pick them up. Because they think the coins are of no value.

Upon reaching this stage of sharing, the same old lady raised her voice to us. She said, "Yes! Our children today is smarter. They know the value of those coins." I didn't challenge her statement and darn not utter a word. Quietly i smiled and left the crowd.

In my car i pondered over her statement, "Our children today is smarter." In my mind i asked.. Are they actually smarter? I think not! They could be more intelligence but they aren't smart. Their intelligence has degraded the value of those unwanted coins. Their intelligence has changed them to be proud and prideful. They don't have the humbleness and simplicity of the heart. If they were to be smart, they should have collected those under value coins and donate them to charities or the poor. Thanks God! My children still pick the left over coins.

Quote in joke - "You can use your 1 cent coins to piss people off....next time you pay for something just pay in 1 cent coins!!!"

Lonesome Kills.

Dr H is a lady medical doctor i have known for 24 years. For the last three years, she had done three angioplasties with three stents repaired in her heart arteries. Poor lady! I felt so sad for her. Hospital advised her to go for her bypass surgery but she chicken off. See! Even doctors themselves are afraid.

According to Dr H, she has always on strict dietary supplements and meals, but her cholesterol level is still high. She blamed it on hereditary reasons because her parents were like her.

While discussing over her current medical insurance claims, i took the courage to advise my client. I said... You have been doctoring all your patients these many years, please let me this time to doctor you. You have been a good doctor for others but you have failed to heal yourself. Please disregard the hereditary reason because one could avoid to be like our parents' way of living. Though you are careful with your food intake, you are not careful with the intake of stress and tension. As doctor, you are intelligent but not smart to live a rounded life. The past 35 years you had been enclosed to these four walls seeing only the sick and dying. Yes! You might have the passion to work in your profession to save lives but there is no one at the moment to love your sickly heart. When your children were young, they gave the joy for you to work. When your dad and mum were around, they offered their souls for you to work happily. When your husband was there, he too could have spurred you to move and excel. So sad today! Your parents were gone, your husband had left you and the sons had migrated. Besides those patients who are your customers, you really have no friend or someone who cares for you currently. The only medicine you really need is one word...LOVE.

The final conclusion for my friend. I recommended and advised her to search for her love. The someone who is willing to love and heal her stressful and lonesome heart. Go out and be free! Smile to the world outside besides just the four clinical walls and i am sure there would be this someone who could see the beauty of this lovely lady of sixties. Believe me, she is tender and beautiful.

Specially for Dr H - a song lyrics
Are you lonesome tonight?
Do you miss me tonight?
Are you sorry we drifted apart?
Does your memory stray to a bright sunny day?
When I kissed you and called you sweetheart?
Do the chairs in your parlor seem empty and bare?
Do you gaze at your doorstep and picture me there?
Is your heart filled with pain, shall I come back again?
Tell me dear, are you lonesome tonight?
- - -Roy Turk and Lou Handman, "Are You Lonesome Tonight"

MMQ ...What is the meaning of life?

I wrote a title, "What is the meaning of life?" on 23 Nov & yesterday a good friend, Maram commented with his beautiful insight onto it. I can't resist not to share his words with everyone. Allow me to post it please.....

My Dear Bob,
Thank you very much for writing a topic and sharing what you see as the meaning of life. That was exactly how I used to see it too!. Sure rang a few bells to put a smile and giggles in my heart! As life's journey takes its twists and turns, so did my view of life as it traverse from one chapter to another. The objective is to be happy always. To understand the meaning of life, I needed to explore the question of the purpose of life itself. I began to think of our very existence, that everything we see and have around us is designed and made by someone, from designer fashion wears to electronics gadgets to spaceships and submarines to atom bombs etc. Then we watch the amazing underwater worlds in National Geographic HD, with unimaginable array of beautiful living things, the lives of incredible creatures in the wild etc. This thing called Earth is so incredible and yet is but only one component of the huge universe. Then it dawned on me that there must be a creator designer of all these great universe and its contents! No chance that all these came into being by chance. Certainly not!. I am fully convinced that there is one creator of all this, the whole comprehension of it is way beyond human capacities. Today we dont know so many things because the body of knowledge in this world is too huge for man to fathom all. So, to me, to understand the meaning and purpose of life, we need to go back to basics ie to understand life itself from its origins to its final destination! And it is not complex at all!. Sounds like a heavy subject or task indeed, but on the contrary it is as simple as can be!! It starts from self exploration, and then look at our surroundings. From there, the answers will come to you as you continue to search for the one and only one Creator of the worlds. Common sense will tell us that there cannot be more than one, or the world/universe would be very difficult to manage as it has to be perfect in its execution!Yes nothing less than perfection! When I understand life, then perhaps I will be able to truly achieve happiness, not necessarily the happiness in the dimension that most will define today. Most of us are too busy with our daily challenges, as I was before, to be able to dwell into these "other" VERY CRITICAL QUESTIONS ON OUR LIVES. Those who do will find their real meaning and purpose of life. TQ