You reap what you sow — A quick reflection of 2021 thus far

Tick tock tick tock - where does the time go and when does it stop…

It does not feel like it is just me. Plenty of people (perhaps you too dear reader, who is reading this right now) feel like 2021 is blitzing by! They say time flies when you are having fun, but I would not use that term as the key descriptor for the year.

I am inclined to describe it as busy instead, given that that seemed to be the default answer I gave to those who asked. However, I often paired that term with good, because it could be a lot worse given the situation of the world.

I am appreciating the self-empowering nature of being thankful - something I learnt recently from one of my documentary subjects - one of a dozen that I have met so far this year.

As always, my documentary journey allows me to converse with people in an intimate, and dare I say, unique manner. My effort to earn their trust of being a custodian of their stories is reciprocated by their life lessons. Perhaps this is what it feels like to be the avatar, having access to a plethora of older, wiser lives - to ask questions, to formulate thoughts, and to mature.

Now with an increasing habit of writing, I share some of these lessons through the growing list of articles that this too shall be added to.

All this knowledge will come in handy because I am also at the cusp of my next phase in life - one that will see me being a Father, a homeowner, an employer. These upcoming responsibilities are not unexpected. I had been working towards them since the end of my 'O' Levels. But with each passing day, the leeway feels narrower - the stakes relatively higher.

Unintentionally, all these milestones will come to fruition in 2023-2024. 30-year-old me will be looking forward to the decades ahead. But the 28-year-old me is busy hustling. Perhaps this is why I find difficulty now in stopping to smell the roses. Celebrate the small wins as they call it.

I have been tending this garden for my family and I. But it has not blossomed yet. So the plowing continues, come rain or shine. Though perhaps on the few days of cool breeze and cloud shaded rays, I will pause - to accompany my wife, whom this garden is ultimately sown for.