Some time back, I had the privilege of going back to my first primary school – Qifa Primary School, to read to them the children book published by RSAF. As I entered the school, I can’t help but to feel nostalgic, even as the compound looks very different now. I remembered sneaking out of school, walking behind the landed properties along the drain to buy Mr. Softee from the nearest 7 Eleven. I also recalled one incident where my mother was called to school, and at the end of the conversation, she was handled a magnet the size of an adult palm, an item which I brought to school to play with. She was so embarrassed and threw the magnet away while walking home, an act to which I profusely protested against. Finally, there was one incident when I accidentally threw a big piece of rock and hit another child on his head. During the morning assembly, the school principal praised a child for removing a rock to prevent others from tripping. It inspired me and I did the same, not knowing that some kids were hiding behind the bushes catching spiders.
My childhood and teenage years has been atypical. Many of my experiences have taught me life lessons, toughened me up and gave me that composure to face challenging situations. The best part was that I did not get into serious trouble or injury, nor have I created any adverse records against me that would changed the trajectory of my life. If you were to ask some of my friends, I believe that they would find it hard to believe that I would turn out the way that I did today. Because of my personal experience, I strongly believe that it is highly possible for most, if not all to become who they aspire to become, regardless of their starting point. And for me personally, to continue to grow and progress in leaps and bounds, just like I did for the past two decades so long I keep pushing boundaries.
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