Wonder

I’m typing this on my flight back to Singapore. I’m guessing I will publish this in a few hours once I touchdown. Unusually, I’m unable to sleep much on this flight. I generally sleep through most flights. The beautiful thing about not being able to sleep is that I am left to my own thoughts.

When I travel from one place to another, I am always struck by my own wonderment at the experience. It’s not travel or flying that enthrals me. It’s the thought of being able to get from one part of the planet to another in a few hours. It’s the thought that we can travel across space in total comfort and be part of a different world, a different life. As I type this, 7 billion people are all living their lives. Living, breathing, playing, dying, making love, crying, laughing – all these emotions and many more are being experienced by human beings across the world. Every one of these is living in their own sweet worlds wrapped and cocooned by daily happenings and their own life story.

My mind wanders to a few women I met in a village in Vietnam this summer. They spent every day of their lives making coconut toffees in the sweltering heat. They would soon be waking up to another day of hard work and labour. So different. Yet so similar. At the end of the day, they must crave happiness and fulfilment too. They were just born to very different circumstances. How would they feel if they were exposed to this world of mine – being able to afford a space in a flying vehicle across space, seated in a comfortable chair with all kinds of entertainment a click away?

I am filled with wonderment this moment. And as I find myself imagining myself in their shoes, I realize that we may all be so different. But yet, we are so connected. The thread of humanity and life runs through all of us. I’ve just been fortunate to be given access to so much. We are one and the same after all. A few of us have been lucky to have access to far more than most others can imagine.

But yet, I’d wager a bet that they’re likely happier in their lives than most of us are. They probably complain less, play more, love more and laugh more. And I feel I understand why.

They have not lost the ability to wonder. It’s the same reason why kids are far happier when they are young. As kids, we are filled with wonderment at the sights and sounds of the world. As we grow up leading a life of privilege, our ability to imagine goes up in smoke. It’s almost ironic. We may be exposed to more, but we grow aware of less.

For a moment, I find myself filled with sadness. And then, I remind myself that I’ve been given access to great opportunity for a reason. With all this power comes a tremendous amount of responsibility.

And maybe the first step of exercising this responsibility is making sure I don’t complain. I just don’t have the right.

And so, seated on my incredibly comfortable flying chair (in space), I’d just like to request you to pause for a moment. Take a deep breath. And send a thank you up to space. It doesn’t matter whether you believe in god, power or space.

I hope you just do so for your own happiness.

It’s not happy people that are thankful. It’s thankful people that are happy.

To love, laughter and life. Have a great day. Give someone a hug!