<body><script type="text/javascript"> function setAttributeOnload(object, attribute, val) { if(window.addEventListener) { window.addEventListener('load', function(){ object[attribute] = val; }, false); } else { window.attachEvent('onload', function(){ object[attribute] = val; }); } } </script> <div id="navbar-iframe-container"></div> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://apis.google.com/js/platform.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript"> gapi.load("gapi.iframes:gapi.iframes.style.bubble", function() { if (gapi.iframes && gapi.iframes.getContext) { gapi.iframes.getContext().openChild({ url: 'https://www.blogger.com/navbar.g?targetBlogID\x3d6891882\x26blogName\x3dEverything+is+happening+so+fast..\x26publishMode\x3dPUBLISH_MODE_BLOGSPOT\x26navbarType\x3dSILVER\x26layoutType\x3dCLASSIC\x26searchRoot\x3dhttps://xuanz89.blogspot.com/search\x26blogLocale\x3den_US\x26v\x3d2\x26homepageUrl\x3dhttp://xuanz89.blogspot.com/\x26vt\x3d-6464911382226237237', where: document.getElementById("navbar-iframe-container"), id: "navbar-iframe" }); } }); </script>
xuanz's blog ♥
Saturday, May 31, 2008

A touching story my classmate email me.It's abit lengthy,but it's nevertheless good. Enjoy.=)

Choices

What would you do?....you make the choice. Don't look for a punch line,there isn't one. Read it anyway.

My question is: Would you have made the same choice?At a fundraising dinner for a school that serves children with learning disabilities, the father of one of the students delivered a speech that would never be forgotten by all who attended.

After extolling the schooland its dedicated staff, he offered a question:'When not interfered with by outside influences, everything nature does,is done with perfection.Yet my son, Shay, cannot learn things as other children do.He cannot understand things as other children do.Where is the natural order of things in my son?'

The audience was stilled by the query.

The father continued. 'I believe that when a child like Shay, who was mentally and physically disabled comes into the world, an opportunity torealize true human nature presents itself, and it comes in the way other people treat that child.'

Then he told the following story:Shay and I had walked past a park where some boys Shay knew were playing baseball.

Shay asked, 'Do you think they'll let me play?'

I knew that most of the boys would not want someone like Shay on their team, but as a father I also understood that if my son were allowed toplay, it would give him a much-needed sense of belonging and some confidence to be accepted by others in spite of his handicaps.I approached one of the boys on the field and asked (not expecting much)if Shay could play.

The boy looked around for guidance and said, 'We're losing by six runs and the game is in the eighth inning.I guess he can be on our team and we'll try to put him in to bat in the ninth inning.'

Shay struggled over to the team's bench and, with a broad smile, put on a team shirt.I watched with a small tear in my eye and warmth in my heart.The boys saw my joy at my son being accepted.In the bottom of the eighth inning, Shay's team scored a few runs but was still behind by three.

In the top of the ninth inning, Shay put on a glove and played in the right field. Even though no hits came his way, he was obviously ecstatic just to be in the game and on the field, grinning from ear to ear as I waved to him from the stands.In the bottom of the ninth inning, Shay's team scored again.Now, with two outs and the bases loaded, the potential winning run was on base and Shay was scheduled to be next at bat.

At this juncture, do they let Shay bat and give away their chance to win the game?Surprisingly, Shay was given the bat. Everyone knew that a hit was all but impossible because Shay didn't even know how to hold the bat properly, much less connect with the ball.

However, as Shay stepped up to the plate, the pitcher, recognizing that the other team was putting winning aside for this moment in Shay's life, moved in a few steps to lob theball in softly so Shay could at least make contact.The first pitch came and Shay swung clumsily and missed.

The pitcher again took a few steps forward to toss the ball softly towards Shay.As the pitch came in, Shay swung at the ball and hit a slow ground ballright back to the pitcher.The game would now be over.The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and could have easily thrown the ball to the first baseman .Shay would have been out and that would have been the end of the game.Instead, the pitcher threw the ball right over the first baseman's head,out of reach of all team mates.

Everyone from the stands and both teams started yelling, 'Shay, run to first!Run to first!'

Never in his life had Shay ever run that far, but he made it to first base.He scampered down the baseline, wide-eyed and startled.

Everyone yelled, 'Run to second, run to second!'

Catching his breath, Shay awkwardly ran towards second, gleaming and struggling to make it to the base.By the time Shay rounded towards second base, the right fielder had the ball ... the smallest guy on their team who now had his first chance tobe the hero for his team.

He could have thrown the ball to the second-baseman for the tag, but he understood the pitcher's intentions so he, too, intentionally threw the ball high and far over the third-baseman's head.Shay ran toward third base deliriously as the runners ahead of him circled the bases toward home.All were screaming, 'Shay, Shay, Shay, all the Way Shay'

Shay reached third base because the opposing short stop ran to help himby turning him in the direction of third base, and shouted, 'Run to third!Shay, run to third!'As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams, and the spectators,were on their feet screaming, 'Shay, run home! Run home!'

Shay ran to home, stepped on the plate, and was cheered as the hero who hit the grand slam and won the game for his team'That day', said the father softly with tears now rolling down his face,'the boys from both teams helped bring a piece of true love and humanity into this world'.

Shay didn't make it to another summer. He died that winter, having never forgotten being the hero and making me so happy, and coming home and seeing his Mother tearfully embrace her little hero of the day!

AND NOW A LITTLE FOOT NOTE TO THIS STORY:

We all send thousands of jokes through the e-mail without a second thought, but when it comes to sending messages about life choices,people hesitate.The crude, vulgar, and often obscene pass freely through cyberspace, butpublic discussion about decency is too often suppressed in our schools and workplaces.

If you're thinking about forwarding this message, chances are that you're probably sorting out the people in your address book who aren'tthe 'appropriate' ones to receive this type of message Well, the person who sent you this believes that we all can make a difference.We all have thousands of opportunities every single day to help realizethe 'natural order of things.'

So many seemingly trivial interactions between two people present uswith a choice:Do we pass along a little spark of love and humanity or do we pass up those opportunities and leave the world a little bit colder in theprocess?A wise man once said every society is judged by how it treats its least fortunate amongst them.
Monday, May 19, 2008

Entering week 6 of school.Time simply flies!I really enjoy school alot despite the pretty packed timetable and workload that I've got.OT0801 just makes my day.The bunch of wonderful friends I've made is really worth the tears.I laughed hard,I worked hard like never before.The laughter I lost in JC is found.The motivation to study has been found.

Just when I thought this seems to be what I really want to be.Something made me think twice about the decision I've made-the patients.What if I can't take the kind of stress when I face patients?What if I freak out when I see the extent of damage accidents have done to them that I backed out?I'm really scared.

Negative thoughts flooded me since I last heard what happened to a girl who quit the course after she saw a patient who lost most of his brain and saw what was left of the head.One big dent in the front.Will it happen to me?Will I be like that girl?I lost faith in myself.

Out of the blue,I wonder what if one day I just sleep and never wakes up.Many patients slept and woke up realising that half their body is paralysed,numb.It's possible that one day we'll just sleep and not wake.The way our brain is structured makes it totally unfathomable to what can really happen next.We really got to treasure what we have,our friends,family,ourselves.Cos we never know what will happen the next moment.

Feeling so emo all of a sudden.Rarrh.The emo bug invaded me all over again.I need laughter,I need work.I gotta occupy myself to drive these thoughts out.Hopefully the next time I type.I'll not be so emo.=)
Monday, May 05, 2008

NUS and NTU sent their letters on Friday.As expected,another round of arguments came about.Dad came talking about how he wants me to go to uni blah blah blah.Despite the fact that this was within my expectation(him talking about this all over again).It just hurts to hear him say those stuffs all over again.OT has no prospects,I can't go anywhere without a cert etc.

It has been almost 2 months since he's brooding over this and he just cant seem to get over it.Am irritated and at the same time unfathomable.One moment,he's not that angry,then suddenly he's all stubborn again.Temper changes as fast as the weather.

Wanted to call him ad talk to him about this very much but I have no idea how to broach the subject to him.Have talked to him about this for almost 2 months too?Don't wish to bother him too much with my stuffs when he's so busy and especially when this is what we always talk about on the phone.Waste of phone bill!Talking about the same thing all over again.

4th week of studies.More muscles to learn!trying hard to learn them by hard but it's really hard!Physiology is getting slightly easier to learn with all those about blood and the body system.We've finally moved away from the Bio part I think.Have a presentation next week.Isn't that fast?Only week 4 and we have about 5 projects to be done.Majority to be presented on week 8.

My motivation:good grades for all my modules(at least a B for starters) and hopefully,I'll be in the top 5% by year 3!!!=)