BE ALIVE!

While eating lunch at Kakak Cantik’s stall, we were entertained by songs played on the radio. Over the course of the simple meal that we had, we listened to three old Malay singers crooning about three things 'meradang, 'merayu' and merajuk'. The first one is full of advice for those who is short tempered.

I bet if we stayed longer I’ll run amok and told Amir not to beg me to cool down or else I’ll run into a corner and sulk. It’s that all we’re capable of? Meradang, merayu, merajuk? Maybe these are the 3Ms the government had wanted to instil in us when we were innocent children kot?

Through what little experience I have in this challenging business, I’ve met people with those so called traits. I was once like them, so there’s empathy there, which make it easier for me to break their thick heads. So, layankan aje.

Learning never stops. For those who have stopped learning, life has nothing else to offer them, and when things don’t go their way they meradang, merayu or merajuk. Or all three. I know it is frustrating but if we don’t learn from all the challenges that life has thrown before us, what’s the point living? I’m no expert but as I said what little experience I have, I try to draw lessons from it for others and myself.

We should never stop learning. We should never put out that fire. We should never shut ourselves off from reality. We should always see ourselves as coming out victorious from the overwhelming tribulations in our lives. We should continue living as passionate people demanding more and more out of life. We should never, ever give up.