Think what a better world it would be if all, the whole world, had cookies and coffee at about 3 pm every afternoon and then lay down with our blankies for a nap. That’s nice thinking but unfortunately, that’s not the way it works in the real world.
People don’t always share everything nor do they always play fair. They do occasionally hit each other and don’t say they’re sorry. They often take things that aren’t theirs and fail to return them or clean up their own messes. In fact, people randomly violate each and every one of the things that would make the world a better place and of course, they also violate most of the Ten Commandments too.
How are we going to get along in this real world, a place where people don’t always live by playground rules or follow God’s law? We come into this world as innocent children with eyes wide open and filled with wonder. We’re like sponges that soak up what we see and hear, these perceptions shape our lives. Isn’t it amazing how children playing on a playground make up rules and settle differences without missing a beat until the adults show up? Have you ever noticed that when parents arrive and start giving advice, problems that seemed insignificant before suddenly become major arguments?
Of course, Moms and Dads have their own ideas about what’s fair and what the rules should be, based on their own life experiences. When they inject these ideas into their children, it often results in the children losing their innocence and seeing things in a different light. When left alone, it’s amazing how children seem to know who is best and who struggles at a particular game. Watch them make allowance for these differences. They have a unique ability to handicap the players in ways that even the competition.
I remembered, when I was in lower secondary, when choosing sides for playing games, that everyone agreed on the best 2 players and then let them alternate, choosing from the rest to make up teams that were fairly even. We would agree on the length of the game, and if the sides seemed too unbalanced after the first game, we trade a player or two to balance the sides. Sometimes, we would let the 2 worst players be the captains and pick the teams. The bottom line is that we had great fun, played hard and everyone went home happy. As we grow older, however, priorities changed and our individual wants and needs took us down different paths. The games we played become more serious and the consequences of losing become more dramatic.
By far, the most important game we ever play is the game of life. How we deal with the defining moments with which we’re represented is what determines our success or failure in the game of life.
Looking back today, I realised that my mum is the most positive person I have ever known. She lacked many of the things other women enjoyed, but she never let it affect her happiness. Although I didn’t realize it at that time, when I was in secondary school, the way she reacted to my wanting a new bicycle taught me one important lesson, “Everyone is not equal, but Opportunities are”.
My mum took me aside and said, “Honey, I’m sorry we can’t afford to get you a bicycle, but if you really want one, I‘ll bet, we can find a way to get it. Of all the compliments I could pay my mum, probably the greatest is the fact that she never gave up and never discouraged me. Throughout my growing up years, each time when I sought her advice or guidance about some new things or ideas or whether to try something I had never done before, she would just say, “If you think you can do it, I’ll bet you can.”
It wasn’t until I reached adulthood and began reflecting on this experience that I realized that what my mum has given me was an opportunity instead of a handout. At that time, I thought, since I have always been able to save a few cents from my daily pocket money to buy an occasional candy bar, why can't I save enough to get a used bicycle? While most of my friends were not equal in things their parents could afford, I was blessed with a mother who gave me something that money couldn’t buy. She gave me confidence and taught me that opportunity, in this case, saving some of my pocket money for a bicycle, was equal for everyone.
My friends, life isn’t always fair and bad things do happen occasionally, you can either complain about it or do something about it. And when you want it so much, you would overcome almost any obstacle to get it.
That's all for now, friends, See you all in my next articles.