I wrote this last night at 9pm and slept at 1.30am, the deadline for the MPH essay competition is today so it seems fitting to have only done this just the night before :)
Malaysian timing "lah"!
FOREWORD
"Put your hand on a hot stove for a minute, and it seems like an hour. Sit with a pretty girl for an hour, and it seems like a minute. THAT'S relativity." – Albert Einstein
What really is time? What is considered an eternity and what is considered a brief moment? If a newborn baby could speak he could say he has been crying his entire life and it would be true.
We consider a second to be a mere passing moment, but to a raindrop a second is its entire lifetime. I have written this essay through the persona of a Raindrop to illustrate this aspect of time that a few seconds can seem like an eternity whilst years can fly by like seconds.
To the reader of this essay I wish that you read this essay with depth so as to understand the symbolism I have used to embed the philosophies I wish to present in this essay. I do hope that you enjoy reading this essay as much as I have enjoyed writing it.
Sincerely,
Warren Chan
The following takes place in the timeframe of 3 human seconds, which is the equivalent of 126 years for a raindrop:
The first few years of my life have never been very clear to me. Whenever I try to recall it I find no sight, no sound, no scent, no taste, and the only thing I do find is a feeling. But even the feeling is not something very solid to me - it is abstract, and often I have difficulties recalling it.
According to the Stork however, it is better this way - to not know my past. From my conversations with him through the 32 years that we had spent together he has enlightened me on that subject, as he had witnessed my birth and was familiar with many others such like myself.
“Good day,” I said.
“Greetings, a pleasure to meet you, I am the Stork. Do you have a name my little friend?”
I tried to recall my name but drew a blank. The Stork -Old and Wise- recognized my confused expression and comforted me.
“Not to worry young lad, a name is not important. Do you recall your past?”
“No I do not.”
“Ah, I am not surprised. But it is a good thing you do not know your past. I have watched you since birth and your past is filled with sadness. And for the sake of your happiness I shall keep it a secret from you”
“I understand your concern dear Stork - Old and Wise, but no matter how sad it may be it is my right to know for it is my past and even if it is sad I shall accept it for it is not our past which determines us but instead it is what we do in our future that makes us who we are.”
The Stork chuckled at my reply and I did not understand why for I was speaking in a very serious tone.
“Aha, you are right little one, it would be wrong for the Old and Wise to withhold knowledge from the Young.”
He drew a deep breath.
“Your mother little one, cared for you dearly and held you her entire life. Alas,
she died with your birth.”
“It is true that this information has hurt me Stork – Old and Wise – however it would have hurt me more not to know. The important thing is that although it was brief, I was loved, and to be loved (regardless how brief) is all that matters.”
As our conversation drew on I realized that it was hard for the Stork – Old and Wise – to keep up with my pace. It is hard for the Old to keep up with the Young. So I decided that it would be best that I leave.
“I am sorry Stork – Old and Wise - but I must leave you now.”
“I understand my child.”
“However, I wish I had a name so that you could remember me by.”
“Oh do not bother dear child. What is there in a name? People these days have become so preoccupied with names that they spend money just to add a prefix to their name. There is nothing of great worth in a name dear child. I shall not remember you according to your title or the façade you present to me; I shall remember you by the time I have spent with you and the actions you have committed. For me dear child, that shall be your name.”
Malaysian timing "lah"!
FOREWORD
"Put your hand on a hot stove for a minute, and it seems like an hour. Sit with a pretty girl for an hour, and it seems like a minute. THAT'S relativity." – Albert Einstein
What really is time? What is considered an eternity and what is considered a brief moment? If a newborn baby could speak he could say he has been crying his entire life and it would be true.
We consider a second to be a mere passing moment, but to a raindrop a second is its entire lifetime. I have written this essay through the persona of a Raindrop to illustrate this aspect of time that a few seconds can seem like an eternity whilst years can fly by like seconds.
To the reader of this essay I wish that you read this essay with depth so as to understand the symbolism I have used to embed the philosophies I wish to present in this essay. I do hope that you enjoy reading this essay as much as I have enjoyed writing it.
Sincerely,
Warren Chan
The Fable of the Raindrop
The following takes place in the timeframe of 3 human seconds, which is the equivalent of 126 years for a raindrop:
The first few years of my life have never been very clear to me. Whenever I try to recall it I find no sight, no sound, no scent, no taste, and the only thing I do find is a feeling. But even the feeling is not something very solid to me - it is abstract, and often I have difficulties recalling it.
According to the Stork however, it is better this way - to not know my past. From my conversations with him through the 32 years that we had spent together he has enlightened me on that subject, as he had witnessed my birth and was familiar with many others such like myself.
“Good day,” I said.
“Greetings, a pleasure to meet you, I am the Stork. Do you have a name my little friend?”
I tried to recall my name but drew a blank. The Stork -Old and Wise- recognized my confused expression and comforted me.
“Not to worry young lad, a name is not important. Do you recall your past?”
“No I do not.”
“Ah, I am not surprised. But it is a good thing you do not know your past. I have watched you since birth and your past is filled with sadness. And for the sake of your happiness I shall keep it a secret from you”
“I understand your concern dear Stork - Old and Wise, but no matter how sad it may be it is my right to know for it is my past and even if it is sad I shall accept it for it is not our past which determines us but instead it is what we do in our future that makes us who we are.”
The Stork chuckled at my reply and I did not understand why for I was speaking in a very serious tone.
“Aha, you are right little one, it would be wrong for the Old and Wise to withhold knowledge from the Young.”
He drew a deep breath.
“Your mother little one, cared for you dearly and held you her entire life. Alas,
she died with your birth.”
“It is true that this information has hurt me Stork – Old and Wise – however it would have hurt me more not to know. The important thing is that although it was brief, I was loved, and to be loved (regardless how brief) is all that matters.”
As our conversation drew on I realized that it was hard for the Stork – Old and Wise – to keep up with my pace. It is hard for the Old to keep up with the Young. So I decided that it would be best that I leave.
“I am sorry Stork – Old and Wise - but I must leave you now.”
“I understand my child.”
“However, I wish I had a name so that you could remember me by.”
“Oh do not bother dear child. What is there in a name? People these days have become so preoccupied with names that they spend money just to add a prefix to their name. There is nothing of great worth in a name dear child. I shall not remember you according to your title or the façade you present to me; I shall remember you by the time I have spent with you and the actions you have committed. For me dear child, that shall be your name.”
***
With that I said goodbye to the Stork – Old and Wise – and continued with my journey for several decades until I collided with another individual, whom to my surprise was much smaller than I.
“Hello,” I greeted this new companion of mine, “Who are you?”
“Hello, I am Sulphur and I shall be your companion for life.”
“For life? Why do you wish to join me on my journey?”
“I have joined you because I wish to use you. We are of the same destination but of different goals. You wish to enrich the Earth however I wish to destroy it.”
“Why do you wish to destroy the Earth? It has done you no harm.”
“That is true, but I cannot avoid my future. I have been created so and therefore I must do what I have been created to do. It is not the Snake’s choice to kill and it is not the Mosquito’s choice to suck blood. There are created to do so, and therefore they must do what they have been created to do.”
“Then it cannot be avoided. You are my companion and I shall accept you for who you are and hope for nothing more and nothing less.”
“Thank you for your understanding my dear companion, but do not worry. I shall bring you no harm. However, because of me you will be looked on differently by Man. For where there once saw you as a blessing they shall now see you as a curse.”
“Why shall they see me as a curse?”
“Because you have now become an acid and you shall bring damage to the crops they adore, corrode the sculptures they built and bring death to the food they would otherwise eat.”
“But it is not my fault that I have collided with you.”
“Yes, that is true. It is man who has created me through money and greed and it is truly their own evil and misdeeds that shall bring them pain.”
“So why is it that Man has blamed me and not themselves?”
“Because Man refuses to admit their own mistakes, and it is so.”
So from then on my life was spent with my new companion and I accepted him for who he was because he had been created so and I could hope for nothing more and nothing less.
***
Through my journey over the many years, I have come across many magnificent sights and experienced many different things. However, it is the Sun who once granted me with the best experience and the best sight. It was when he shined his radiance upon me that another individual appeared: the Rainbow.
“Do you enjoy my presence?” the Rainbow said.
“Yes I do, I find you very attractive.”
The Rainbow spoke to me for years and years, but never did the subject ever change to anything other than herself. Until one day.
“Do you enjoy my presence?”
“Yes I did. You have graced my days with wonderful colour.”
“Do you not find me pretty?”
“Yes I did. Your beauty left me in awe, however I have found that that is all there is. You are adorned with beauty but with nothing deeper, nothing more.”
“Please say you admire me. I wish to be admired.”
“Why do you wish to be admired?”
“Because being admired makes me happy.”
“What is there in admiration to make you so happy?”
“I do not know. I am Vanity – I am the result of the glory and popularity given to you by the Sun. I am nothing deeper, nothing more.”
“You are right, you are my Vanity. Whilst you have brought me joy and laughter you are but frivolous and ephemeral. You are nothing deeper, nothing more.”
It is then that the Sun stopped providing me with his warmth and the Rainbow disappeared.
***
It is during the last minutes of my life that I met the individual I journeyed long and far to meet.
“I have been waiting for you.” She said to me.
“And so have I, my love.”
“How has your journey been?”
“I have seen many great things and met many interesting individuals. However, through my journey I have become tainted.”
“Yes, my love, I can see that in you. You are no longer the innocent soul you once were - you have killed your Mockingbird. Your innocence and purity is lost.”
“I am sorry my love, it is true. I have sinned. Upon my contact with your majesty I shall grant you with pain and not pleasure.”
“Do not worry my dear I forgive you and I shall bear your sins so you shall not suffer. I love you and shall accept you regardless of the form and shape in which you return yourself to me.”
And it is here that my journey ended.
For you, my journey had been a brief passing moment of no serious consequence. But you see, it may have had only been 3 seconds to you, but it was an entire lifetime to me.
“I have fallen for you my entire life” said the Raindrop as he kissed the Earth.
