100 years - Five for Fighting

15 there's still time for you.
Time to buy and time to choose.

One of the songs that has always struck a personal chord with me since I'm always lamenting about how time and tide waits for no man. I wish I could buy more time - time to choose my options; time to figure out what I want in life before it runs out on me. We've all been 15; all had our fair share of time to decide on our interest and direction in life. As we approach our quarter-lifes, I believe we will soon find that the luxury of time isn't in our court anymore and that it is time to make our choice. I just hope that when I reach mid-life, I would be able to look back and say to myself: that 'yes, I made the right decision.' Don't we all?

On the same note of making choices, a dillema has been passed into my court as of late. A choice between pursuing a degree of (almost)interest or one of practicality. Though I severely suspect I'm the first Singaporean to have been presented this dillema in light of the academic stigma which plagues our youths living in this development-centric society we call our home. Singapore or its people and government, has always prided itself on its pragmatism. To look pass the clutter and focus on what is practical, that which would aid Singapore to develop and stay in the forefront of the world stage. It is afterall, a founding quality of our forefathers and what got us to where we are today. It is in the pledge we recite "so as to achieve happiness, prosperity and progress for our nation." and ultimately, imbibed in the young minds of the generation that has and will, in the future, take over the works of our forefathers. Ironically, happiness is lumped together with(and even placed in front of) prosperity and progress for our nation; a quality I feel that has taken a backseat 'in the best interest of Singapore'. Perhaps our forefathers saw the imminent threat and problem that may arise and deliberately placed the qualities together. Afterall, who likes to think of themselves as tools in the grand scheme of things. I may have come off slightly cynical, but I meant no disrespect or illwill. There is no shame in pursuing one's interest, the government's that is. No matter, it is of one's own choice to decide our own future. No one is pointing a gun into the back of our heads to force us into a decision though quite literally, it feels like that's the case; a do-or-die sort of mentality.

I just wish I had a clearer solution in mind. One that would encompass the best of both worlds. Alas, a decision has to be made at the end of May and honestly, if you asked me, an option is better than none. Make no mistake that I thank God for delivering this miracle right into my life.