New Perspectives

 So What If The Day Started Badly

This morning, as I was reversing my car out of the porch for a dental appointment, I drove right into a van who just happened to park in front of the house across the road, right at the very instant.

The knee jerk instinct was to feel sorry and angry with myself at the same time. I said a little prayer for comfort and that the rest of the day would turn out better, with small mercies along the way. I also texted G, telling him what happened and that I was a little shaken by the incident, trivial as it was. The text came back " No worries". It was all the comfort I needed - no judgment, no reproof, just a quiet understanding and acceptance.

The Rest Of the Day

Got the tooth fixed, had my comfort food for lunch, left car with dented bumper with mechanic, took a bus to Ang Mo Kio library to while away the time. Along the way, discovered my favorite Yong Tau Foo franchise had moved to the food centre here, much nearer home, and also picked up a long sought after book " Maximum City" from the book drop off shelf. The day is getting better...

New Perspectives

I got back from a long stretch of travel in Europe just last week with the two grown up kids, D & A. Things mostly did not go according to plan. We packed for high summer, with shorts and comfy tops. Summer never came. Instead, it rained everyday, where we were, and the temperature was chilly. we soldiered on, stoically, while shivering inside. Once upon a time, I wondered at some "Aunties" who seemed to slap on whatever is handy when venturing overseas. Now I know why - I have become one of "them". Sometimes, pre-booked trips were cancelled without prior notice, other times, accommodations did not live up to the reviews we read about. We just find out what we get when we get there.

At the same time, I was thankful for the family time I got to spend with D & A. Despite being poles apart in personality and temperament, they got along quite amicably. 

In one city, we were staying at an over-glorified 19C farm in the middle of nowhere, but it was within walking distance to a Michelin Bib Resto that served our best meal of the entire trip. In most other cities, we stayed near the train station and walked an average of 20.000 steps a day, give or take a couple of thousands. 

After a while, European cities started to seem like templates of each other, and for the first time, I developed travel fatigue and started to miss home. 

On arriving home last week, I could not get enough of local comfort food. It never tasted more inviting or delicious until now. I am back in my happy place, where I call home, with my fur kids, G, my own bed and kitchen, and settling comfortably back into ordinary, routine life.

So What If I Never Achieved My Dreams...

When I was younger, I dreamt of working overseas, owning a bookshop, a fashion boutique. None of these ever materialized.  So did I ever regret my life taking on a different path? Not at all. I am still evolving into my best self after all these years.

Instead of chasing rainbows and exotic adventures, I am learning to appreciate the simplicity of routine and contentment in the mundane. 

The incident today brings to remembrance another incident in Europe where we were staying in a respectable hotel, only to return to our room to find our key-card, which A replaced with her dorm card, missing. It was the first time something like that had happened. At the very least, the cleaner ( who happens to be a migrant ) could have simply removed the card and left it in the room. We reported the incident but the hotel management did not manage to find the card.

In a different time, I would have raised a ruckus and written a rotten review. But upon reflection, I decided to let it go, as it may eventually cost the cleaner a livelihood and a job, even if she did a lousy job cleaning the room, leaving our rubbish behind and not bothering to replace the tissue box, apart from disposing the key card...

What's the connection?

At the end of the day, when I can be more forgiving about other people, I am also able to be more forgiving to myself. That, is in itself, a good end to a good day!