I used to be your average teenager, the type who went to school, hung out with friends and almost constantly was connected to an MP3 player when not surfing the net. In short, I was a ‘normal’ self-centered teenager with no time, thought or care for any other being other than myself. Sure, I had my ‘ideals’ but they were confined to perhaps owning the latest I-pod, upgrading my phone to a newer model, scraping through my exams and doing my degree in a prestigious private university. After all, money was no problem in my family. However, that was before I had a vision which transformed my life forever.
My transformation was due to a nondescript handicapped man who went to work on the same bus I took to school. My parents had become so caught up in their day to day business transactions that I was forced to take a bus to school everyday. Surprisingly, Mr. Khoo and I bonded with each other and we usually sat together on the bus as many passengers felt uncomfortable sitting next to a man with crutches. His business empire collapsed when an accident rendered him disabled. Henceforth, he became a volunteer to teach in a school for the handicapped. Every day during the bus ride to school he taught me a lesson or two through his own personal experiences.
One day, when everything seemed to go wrong and I was angry with life and with my brother, a high flyer in school, Mr. Khoo related to me the depth of his despair after the tragic accident. Refusing to listen to well- meaningdoctors’ suggestions and advice, he shut himself out completely from the rest of the world. However, after months of prayer and meditation, he came to a realization that life must go on and he could not just give up. God had given him a chance to live and he had to use it to the fullest. So, this remarkable man crawled out of the valley of darkness and strove to find his place in the cold harsh world. He decided that he had a vocation to become a teacher and so he began his teaching career for the disabled. “Child, the journey is hard, yet if you have a personal vision, a goal in life nothing is impossible,” he advised.
On another morning, when I was raging about the latest laptop which my father had pointedly refused to buy for me, Mr. Khoo urged me to appreciate what I had around me. “Look at the beauty which God has surrounded us with, the lush greenery or the magnificent plumage of that bird. Breathe in the clean fresh air and admire the breath-taking sunrise,” he said.
This man who had been denied so many opportunities in life still counted his blessings. Gradually, his words took effect and I entered a new phase of life. My personal vision shaped my entire life. I set goals for myself and strove to reach them. My relationship with my teachers in school improved tremendously and I was heaped with praises. On the home front, the parent-child relationship took a turn for the better. I finally found my purpose in life. I began to care for others and see a silver lining in every cloud. I still rode on the bus with Mr. Khoo and he always had an interesting anecdote to share with me reminding me to live life to the fullest and remain true to my vision. He also encouraged me to chase rainbows and fulfill dreams that he never could.
Then, one day news came that Mr. Khoo had died of a sudden heart attack. Overcome by grief, I made my way to the house for the handicapped where he had lived. As his students and fellow inmates paid their last respects, I stood by his stiff and lifeless body and looked at the face of the man whose ideals and tenacity for life helped me through the darkest moments of my life. Mr. Khoo had been a man with a vision, who even despite being disabled had chosen to teach and educate.
I mourned, not for his passing as he had already completed his journey, but for all those who had never had the opportunity to be a pupil of this magnificent teacher. His vision has helped me to form my ideals that have also assured me of a better tomorrow. |
