Problems

It feels like suddenly, I have a lot of things to say. That’s not true. I always have a lot of things to say, all the time. It’s just that my audience has diminished in numbers.

People tell me their problems all the time. Most of the time I just listen. Sometimes I give advice, but I find that more often than not, people don’t want advice, they just want to vent to a sympathetic ear. More often than not I distract them with a joke or something silly to make them feel happier, even if it’s just for a while.

I have problems, too. And sometimes I too wish to vent. But then I’m told that I act as if I’m the only one with problems in the world. Wow. I know everyone has problems. I know some problems are bigger than others. I know there is suffering, disease, pain in the world. I know. But that doesn’t mean I can’t have problems or frustrations. That doesn’t mean I can’t voice out those problems or frustrations. I’m not asking for a solution to my problems. Some problems cannot be solved.

Sometimes I, too, just want a sympathetic ear. Or someone to tell me a joke or something silly to make me laugh and forget my problems for a while.  It’s really not too much to ask. Especially of a friend. Or at least, of someone I used to consider my friend.

Facts vs opinions

There is a saying I once heard or read somewhere, “Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but not to their own facts.”

I’ve never stopped anyone from voicing out their opinions. Sometimes I challenge that opinion. Sometimes I disagree with that opinion. But it’s their opinion and they’re entitled to it.

But opinions should be on the basis of facts. For example, the Goods and Services Tax (GST) has been replaced with the Sales and Service Tax (SST). This is a fact. Which is better, GST or SST? This is an opinion.

So I get irritated when people distort facts or worse, present opinions as if it’s a fact. They don’t bother to fact check something from the source before saying it. They just say it without a care in the world. Some, when confronted with the real facts, will just say “Oh, really? I read it on WhatsApp.” WhatsApp is NOT a source of information! Some, unfortunately, will still argue and stand their ground even when faced with unequivocal evidence to the contrary.

I shouldn’t get irritated with these people. After all, those are the limits of their knowledge and their thinking capacity, and what can I do if they refuse to grow, to question, to analyse, to think logically? It’s not my job to set them straight; it’s not my job to judge.

I do have a choice, though. I can choose to ignore the white noise. I can choose to walk away. Better still, I can choose to have an opinion about these people. Right or wrong, it’s my own opinion and I’m entitled to it.

Bored

Looking back on my life, I realize that a lot of things I did, a lot of the decisions I made, were out of sheer boredom. You see, I get bored ever so easily. My brain needs to be constantly stimulated by riveting information. I have diverse interests, but sometimes a book I’m reading, a program I’m watching on tv or a conversation I’m having with someone are not of sufficient depth for my mental and intellectual stimulation. And then I get bored. Which is dangerous because that is when I end up doing silly things and making wrong decisions which more often than not ends in disaster.

“Let’s steal the orange safety cone on the road.”

“What for?? Plus it’s wrong!” (Indignant)

“Got any better ideas?”

“(Pause). Let’s steal it.”

The thing is, I know I’ve made plenty of errors in my life. I keep telling myself I’m human and we all make mistakes. But most of my mistakes are totally unavoidable.

It’s not that I have nothing to do. I’ve plenty to do. But I’m just one of those who can do 25 different things at the same, and still get bored. So I end up doing a lot of things which I shouldn’t do. And after disaster strikes I tell myself never again!

That ‘never again’ lasts for about 3 seconds; then I get bored again (roll eyes).