I enjoy the current Petronas Independence Day ad [not the one with the small children deciding on a name for their city, I found it a tad irritating]. The message in this ad is ‘Can what we build today bring us into tomorrow?’ I found myself thinking about this and questioning myself whether what I’ve done so far in terms of time spent, resources spent, money spent and saved (err, more spent than saved), efforts put in etc is enough to take me into my tomorrow. He likes Italian brands too!
So I mulled on whether my time in this world has been spent well; whether I have saved enough money to see me through my old age; whether I have done enough efforts and deeds and do them well to have the desired impact/outcome/result whether in this world or in the hereafter. I still procrastinate sometimes and this suggests I still do not manage my time well or still fail to value my time better. I should have more in my savings than what I currently have. And what about the time invested in worldly and hereafter affairs? Have I done enough in preparation to meet my Maker?
Ouch. At the moment, it doesn’t look like I have put enough into my future than I ideally should have and would like to think.
So what I interpret from the ad is that we must strive to do a job well, even when we think it’s our last assignment ever [like in the ad], as it has consequences on our future actions. This ad reminds me of the story below:
~~~
An elderly carpenter was ready to retire. He told his employer-contractor of his plans to leave the house-building business and live a more leisurely life with his wife enjoying his extended family. He would miss the paycheque, but he needed to retire. They could get by. The contractor was sorry to see his good worker go and asked if he could build just one more house as a personal favour. The carpenter said yes, but in time it was easy to see that his heart was not in his work. He resorted to shoddy workmanship and used inferior materials. It was an unfortunate way to end a dedicated career.
When the carpenter finished his work, the employer came to inspect the house. He handed the front-door key to the carpenter. ‘This is your house,’ he said, ‘My gift to you.’
The carpenter was shocked! What a shame! If he had only known he was building his own house, he would have done it all so differently.
So it is with us. We build our lives, a day at a time, in a distracted manner, often putting less than our best into the building. Then with a shock we realise we have to live in the house we have built. If we could do it over, we’d do it much differently.
Think of yourself as the carpenter. Think about your house. Each day you hammer a nail, place a board, or erect a wall. Build wisely. It is the only life you will ever build. Even if you live it for only one day more, that day deserves to be lived graciously and with dignity.
Your life today is the result of your past attitudes and choices. Your life tomorrow will be the result of your attitudes and choices you make today.
~~~
I also like the ad where one chap had a monologue with himself: I gather he was feeling inferior and all because the shoes he wore were made in Gombak. I think the message in that ad is that we may seem to be free and independent but in our minds, we still can’t free our mind that we can be as good as, if not better, than our Western counterparts.
Okaaayyy... I admit that I am guilty in some areas. I like German cars, wear modern clothes, watch foreign movies and dramas, eat some imported food and like Italian brands. I do wear Malaysian-made clothes [I’m sure Isetan clothes are locally made] and shoes though. And while I do know to eat with fork and knife, I can also eat with my hand and chopsticks [maybe not that good but hey, I’m not a Chinese anyway]. I also shop for my supply of fruits and vegetables at the local market because it makes economic sense and it helps the local economy in some way.
And while I think, speak, dream and pray in English [not that my English is that good], I do know how to speak Malay and find it irritating that some people who call themselves Malaysians can barely string together a few words in Malay [including some politicians!]. I am very proud of my mother tongue – even if I don’t speak it often – and get annoyed when people not only pay it little respect but also spoil the language with bad spelling [whether intentional or not] and wrong usage. And I disagree with the notion that we should master English at the expense of the national language. After all, the French, Japanese, Germans, Korean are fiercely proud of their languages, sometimes to the extent of refusing to speak English and ignoring those who do, even though they have a good command of the language. And this apparent lack of spoken English has not deterred them from advancing at all.
And I find it disgraceful that there are people who hold themselves as Malaysians but don’t even know the lyrics, let alone how to sing, the national anthem. People in other countries are proud of their national anthem; they even stop whatever they are doing mid-way and stand erect when they hear their national anthems being played. To be honest, I can’t see that happening here, especially not when some even think it’s OK to make fun of their national anthem.
~~~~~~~~
Happy 50th year of independence, Malaysia!
~~~~~~~~
Fabulous Fàbregas scored again in the second meeting with Sparta Prague, paying the goal as a tribute to his late friend, Puerta, who passed away on Tuesday of heart attack at the age of 22. For more on the match, have a dekko at this.
|