How often it is;

Truths are often parallel, for things of totally diverse natures, and we are usually struck by the partially concealed similarity between circumstances deemed too different for adjacent comparison.

A few months back I scribbled a one-line entry which went almost unnoticed–
“The cheaper the freight, the less efficient the route.”

This was a common rule I learned in Maritime Business Economics two years ago, but frankly, my interest at the point of posting lay nothing at all in the cost of freight for shipping any good. I was caught up with another thought, one that we all practice and always evade admitting, one that has intrigued me for quite some time, and one that I hope to change from now on.

We take too many things for granted, and I realised that myself included, and myself especially, the more effort and time I invest in something, the more I treasure and take care of it. The other hand also holds true; the less time and effort that is required of me to maintain something, the greater the phenomenon of cognitive dissonance and I leave it mostly to happenstance.

I stumbled upon this realization earlier this year, when I made a conscious choice to step into a decision that certainly wasn’t going to be easy; where tough was a better word for description, and maybe in the eyes of the more pessimistic few, deemed almost impossible, crazy and impulsive even. Yet I have also understood that because of the stand I chose, I have determined to devote time, energy and resources required for its success. And as a cause and effect, circular referencing argument, the more I choose to devote to it, the more I cherish and maintain it.

Isn’t it true, this phenomenon that we experience on an almost daily basis? How often it is.

Back in school, everyday.

Learning keeps me sane and humble all at the same crazy time.

I don’t remember the last time I pushed myself to learn so much so fast, despite the lesser resource called time than ever before. Every single day I learn from the cultures I observe, the personalities I encounter at work, the mannerisms with which others speak when they think they can let down their guard, and the shock plastered all over their faces when they realised the made a huge blunder.

I’m amazed at the huge differences in expectations and reality. But I say we all live and learn. The most humbling fact that keeps me constantly grounded, is that you never know enough, there’s always someone whose experiences are a treasure chest full of exciting adventures and wonderful stories, and that alone we will never survive.

Sifting through lessons of life on a daily basis, absorbing what spurs me and burying what doesn’t, I am always in learning mode. Sitting at Spanish classes in a room full of people as diverse as the colours on a palette, I realise each one’s personality is as sparkling as you allow it to be. The will to wake up at 8 am on a Saturday morning to attend a language course, the openess with which they speak about their lives and thoughts about the future, regardless of being beings of backgrounds so constrasting, inspires me.

Many things in life pass me by, but some strike me, hard, and hold me till I wake, aware that in Jesley’s words, “This is not a dress rehearsal.” We live, we learn, and I don’t think we ever stop, unless we don’t live anymore.