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He was sitting on a chair with one leg rested on the edge of the chair and was carefully rubbing some traditional ointment on his swelling leg. People of the east are always rich with their traditional values and remedies/ medications, he thought. Although at times it can be misleading but often it makes you wonder how these people knew about these remedies at their time.

He was in his late 40’s and he felt quite funny getting bruises from playing football. But nevertheless it was a healthy past time and his passion.

After rubbing the bruised part he sat back and he began to feel that his bruise was starting to get attention and it was as if thousands of tiny hands were working hard mending his bruised leg. He began to feel the warmth and the pain started to ease a little.

As he sat there while his leg was mended, he began to feel restless. As usual when someone gets bored their mind tend to drift of to a particular incident or dreams etc. he then stood up, remembering something and went to get a piece of paper which he intended on reading before. It was an old one that he kept in his drawer. It was old and looked a bit yellowish with a mixture of gold with a little rust on the edges.

He then slanted on his chair making himself comfortable and started focusing on the old page that he had read many times before.

It was entitled “The Future Me” and it began: I understand that I am not a full adult yet burdened with obligations and responsibility on his shoulders. But, during these past years I’ve come to realize that my impression of adults has shrunk to an extent where I am beginning to doubt whether they deserve the respect they expect or even get from others.

When I was little I was always told and taught to respect the elders and listen to them. We were never to oppose or question their judgments. But maybe because of that I’d probably assumed that they must have had some sort of wisdom or prowess they had with them and that it had to be more than the age gap.

Perhaps it was different before, men were probably wise and had attributes and values that not only kids but even adults admired. I remembered my first encounters with these so called ‘wise’ adults. The first thing I realized was that they were as lost as I was and it felt as if I was hanging out with friends my age. Where all we talk about is about what we want and ‘what ifs’ or ‘if only’.

Now that I had the chance to meet with them to talk to them and gain knowledge from them, I was curios on how the adult mind operated. Thanks to my line of work that enabled me to sit with them and talk to them. I was ecstatic until I met the first one.

I always had assumed that if I mixed around with more adults I’d be more wise and by socializing with them they might want to help me answer some questions that I don’t know the answer of. Not surprisingly, they weren’t able to. Not only that, I came to understand that they don’t even think of the questions I think of. Which to me are the fundamentals of living. How can one live and not ask questions about their living?

Maybe they’re all just professionals or executives in their fields and as the saying goes, ‘ignorance is bliss’.

It’s no surprise that when an old man old enough to be your grand father drunk as a fly and dancing like a maniac in a prestigious club with body guards around him ready to get him if he falls, makes you think that there must be something missing in his life. Maybe some of you will think that he’s a jolly old fellow but to me to find happiness in such a manner is not adult like.

Does being an adult means getting married, having kids, and being financially stable? Most of what I see nowadays is corrupted people living an artificial life to impress their family, friends and neighbors. Nevertheless family members, friends and neighbors treat you better if you’re as expected. Hence it’s the way people think, their shallow mindset that judge people wrongly.

Their corrupt activities, it’s not called corruption anymore but is considered merely as a gesture/ favor. It is almost as an invincible rule one has to abide to in order to get something in return.

How did this mindset get through in the first place? Was it a conspiracy of some sort, the media or traditions that was set to sink mankind to a degrading unsafe -able level? Or was it just an exemplary way of life taken from other cultures that we’ve got accustomed to?

I read before that a man goes thru a number of stages in his lifetime. Most people I see are stuck at the first stage. I was so obsessed with adults that whenever I had the chance to talk to them I ask them (most of them middle aged), what their purpose in life was and what it meant to them. Thankfully they didn’t get mad, some were mildly aggravated but nonetheless they answered. I realized that they were what their job was and all they had in common was their pride and ego.

Despite all of the bad examples I met a few, mainly one, a man whom I sat and talked for hours with. It was my first contact with a local who was vast with knowledge and experiences. The way he described and explained things were one that only a man with a certain amount of wisdom can. He was the type of person I was looking for and I felt lucky to have talked with him. I never met him again after that. Since then I met a few really nice and gentle ones whom also I had lost in touch with.

I am assuming that once people are done with their academic studies they move on into their working life, period.

A very pleasant lady that I met said to me that, “this is how things are, bow to the power and be accepted as one. That is how you survive here.” I enjoyed talking to her but she mostly talked about her children and her job. She told me about her son who was as the same age as I was and how difficult it was for him to get a job. She also told me about her daughter whom she sends for Japanese classes every weekend. The way she talked and explained was so smooth and graceful that no matter what she talked about, I’d be keen to listen.

One thing I’ve learned from parents was that they are proud of their children and they love to talk about them. No matter who, parents love to talk about their kids.

Finally, I am not concluding that all grownups are immature and shallow in the present. I am also not saying that the younger generations should disrespect their elders. I guess my message is the world would be a better place if its inhabitants were more aware of their home.

He stood up and placed the paper where he found it and reminded himself that he should make a copy of it. His leg was feeling better and he went on with his routine.