Opportunities

Feb 14, 2011 04:39

Yesterday I met up with a primary school friend, Jessie, whom I haven't seen in ages. I asked her why she chose to go to a neighbourhood secondary school instead of St. Anthony's. She could have easily gone to a school that could have given her more quality and opportunities in her education.

She told me that she has no regrets because it really opened up her eyes to see people from all walks of life, especially people who are really less fortunate and those who really cannot just catch a break in life. I asked her what made her think that SAC was an affluent school to begin with, and that there are definitely people from all kinds of backgrounds in our school too.

But I'm beginning not to even believe myself. When I look at friends and even myself on Facebook, we lead such comfortable and some even materialistic lives. My closest friends are cultured and talented and they have so much support going for them. Do I actually know someone from SAC that struggled to even pay the school fees back then? I know there are some, but they are few and far in between.

Let's not even take SACians. With meeting people from Australia and UNSW foundation, I've seen horses they've owned, been out on nights with people who can blow thousands in a bar in one night, met people who buy branded bags and clothes on impulse and on a regular basis.. It's even easy to forget how fortunate I really am. This probably wouldn't even be possible if I had chosen to stay in poly all those years ago.

So I guess I don't know anyone who is really destitute. Which sort of makes me feel ignorant and incredibly ungrateful for what I have. My friend Jessie knows that and doesn't take her life for granted. So I guess at the end of the day, she has the capacity and spirit to work harder for what she wants compared to me.

And maybe at the end of the day, even if we end up in the same places in life in the future, she has that satisfaction of knowing that she earned everything she has worked for, while I won't really appreciating what I have, and whining in a corner like a little bitch.
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