A week ago the internet was rife with the fake news that Chow Yuen Fatt has passed away. When I heard it from my sister I felt rather sad. CYF is around my age. When Hong Kong TV drama was the family entertainment in the late 70s and 80s CYF starred in many of the popular TV serials and became a household name. His absence if true felt like a void, a passing of an era which I belong. Thankfully it was fake news.
However a few days ago when my husband said Sim Mong Hoo passed away, I rebuked him for not verifying before breaking such news. Unfortunately it turned out to be true. SMH was also around my age and was someone whom baby boomers in Singapore looked up to as someone who persistently and ardently pursued his dreams and achieved his goals. We admire him because he did not achieve success through the charted or silo path that most Singaporeans aimed for ie. excellent academic performance or government scholarship to launch into a successful career.
In remembrance of him, CNA ran a short story of his career trajectory. One scene that struck me was when he introduced his latest device/product to Heng Swee Kiat. He was so alive! so full of enthusiasm. Reading more about him I became convinced that he led a very full life.
Thinking about the fake and true passing of two well known people my age and reflecting on how these 2 characters lived well ie. lived the life they were meant to be, I began to mull over how I want to live my life.
Last Friday I had the occasion to be reminded of moments when I really felt joyful. I told a story about "The Little Troll" to children at the library. I had told this story some 20 years ago to an entranced audience of more than 20 children. It was an experience I would never forget. I was to experience that magic moment again last Friday. The children were thrilled and ALIVE.
So WAS I.
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