Yesterday, on the way home for a quick nap before going back to the office, I had to change trains at City Hall. And I was witness to the amazing physical prowess of Singaporeans. We may not be able to change our mass at will to squeeze more people into the MRT, but we most definitely can boost our speed with amazing acceleration in a manner that would make Jay Garrick, Barry Allen and Wally West proud. Yes, I’m talking about the dash across the platform to catch the train from the other line.
The only reason why I’m blogging about this today is because yesterday as I was walking across the platform, some girl banged into me and knocked what I was carrying to the floor. She didn’t stop to say ’sorry’, didn’t turn around to say ’sorry’ while continuing running. What she did was just shout ’sorry’ with even looking back to see if I was ok. While I understand I’m not some fragile old lady, but when I heard the ’sorry’, the thought that came into my mind was ‘Say Sorry for F*ck, you really sorry meh…’ but then I caught myself. Shouldn’t be so harsh on her. To her credit, she got attached to a guy who was nice enough to stop for half a second to see if I was ok and then continued on his mad dash.
In the end, I also managed to get into the train and I think that was the ultimate ‘punishment’ for her because I could tell she was really embarrassed. She was covering her face with her hands.
Anyway, when I said I should’nt be so harsh on her, I meant it. As I thought more about it, I knew who to blame.
I BLAME SOCIETY
But before I come to that, I blame SMRT. I mean… I don’t think it is that impossible to schedule trains such that the train from one line arrives one minute before that of the other. I can’t help but feel it is some twisted joke by the people up there, our mad dash across the platform an amusement to them. I can’t help but think the lyric playing in those executives’ heads is
“See how they run…see how they run!”
I might have bought the argument that the current way things work when changing trains might be so that people don’t have to wait but honestly would you buy that argument?
The thing is, people dash across the platform because in a way we hate the “Ahhh..SHIT!!!!! I just missed the train feeling!!!!!”
I started thinking about my own reactions when I take the train and I realised, if I missed a train at City Hall or Raffles Place (either because I was too slow and fat to get across the platform in time or my train pulled into the station just a little too late) and had to wait for 3 minutes, I would feel worse about it then if I had to wait for six minutes without seeing the train leave the platform.
The “Ahhh..SHIT!!!!!” feeling is a powerful feeling and I believe we do alot to avoid feeling it. That is why to me things are so insane in the property market. I know there is optimism in the air about the future of the Singapore economy, but I also believe a good part of it is because we don’t want to get the “Ahhh…SHIT!!!!!” feeling.
People who own valuable properties are doing en blocs because they feel the time is right but also because they are afraid if they don’t do it now, they will be leaving cash on the table if they do it later when the economy takes a dip.
“Ahhh…SHIT!!! Sell earlier can make more money!!!”
But frankly I don’t care about those people. They already have enough money to use 2 dollar bills to wipe their ass. It is the other group that concerns me.
“Ahhh…SHIT!!!! Should have bought that house last year..now price so high..F*ck it..I’m going to buy that condo now in case price goes up later!!!!”
Don’t get me wrong. If you have thought about it, studied where the economy is going, confident about your assessment and it is within your means to buy the place without over-leveraging yourself, go ahead and buy that property. But please, don’t buy it cause of fear and greed. Don’t buy just because you’re afraid of the super combo
“Ahhh…SHIT!!!! WHAT IF I HAD…….” feeling
And so like a good product of a generation that idolizes the self and yet loathes personal responsibility, I BLAME SOCIETY….
But if you really think about it, it is not about who to blame, but learning to accept the fact that we can live life one way or live life by the many other ways, one of them being not bowing down to the
“AHHHH…SHIT!!!!!”
feeling.
Post a Comment