Tuesday 14 October 2008

Nurture

When I was out at the patio this morning, I was surprised to see bright pink and purple flowers in the garden. Some of the plants left behind by the previous owner have started blooming. When we moved in, many of them were barely surviving. Somehow, I've managed to nurture them back to health. Now the orchids, bougainvillea and frangipanis are flourishing again, rewarding me with pretty blooms.


I often wonder about wayward kids who get into trouble with the law. Social workers say these kids put up a tough front but deep down inside, they are yearning for love and attention which they couldn't find at home. I believe that given the right guidance, most can be put back on track again. Just like plants that are not rotten to the core, they can still flourish with love and care.
.
Today, the papers did a success story about this 32-year old inventor/entrepreneur who admitted that he's not very academic and has taken an unconventional route to get to where he is today. Most importantly, he is grateful to his mother for sending him for computer lessons when he was young. That's where he discovered his love for computing. He dropped out of poly, started working at a young age. One thing led to another and he's now the owner of a thriving business.
.
My radar is always searching for stories like this because I'm not very academic myself. I feel encouraged because whilst education is important, there will always be people who will not thrive academically in school.
.
I'm not one who put alot of pressure on my kids to excel in school. In fact, I give them free rein to pursue their interest. Though they are brought up similarly, they have entirely different personalities. One thing we all have in common is our love for animals. In our vocabularly, every animal is cute and adorable. Somehow I've nurtured them into animal lovers.
.
My friend and her husband come from a family of achievers. So it is no surprise their kids are coached and trained to excel in sports and academia. They attend the best schools and have completed several triathlons at a young age. Their achievements put me to shame. As a matter of fact, their parents are grooming them to be our future leaders.
.
I see no point in making comparisons. It takes all kinds of people to make up a society. We need leaders and animal lovers. Let's just be happy and grateful for what we have.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

You said it Blur...I often feel the same around here...you know that Japan is similar to SQ in that way... we just let Coffee be, while everyone around us is sending their kids to juku, piano lessons, etc.. etc... Well, I never went to juku (in the US) and Papa Bean never had all those extra-curricular activities...and I feel we turned out ok... didn't we????

Mike Minzes said...

Here is a success story:
Guy, got out of high school and started working on cars and in retail instead of going to college.
One day he used a computer and fell in love with it.
In 1991 he got his first job working with computers for the government.
15 years of experience later he is now managing the biggest and most expensive computer disaster recovery program in the world for the US Department of Defense. He was a single parent who rose his child alone during this time.

I know this guy pretty darn well :)

Anything you want you just have to see youself getting it, and then go out and get it.

The Real Mother Hen said...

There is a saying in Chinese, one type of rice feeds hundred types of people. Society needs these hundred types of people to make it successful.

Chowmahalla Palace

During our week in Hyderabad, some of the places we visited include the Mecca Mosque, the Charminar (the icon of Hyderabad), Sufi Shrine, Bi...