Where were you in 1977? Perhaps you weren’t even born yet.
Around four years ago, I was fortunate enough to talk to two strangers – a healthy elderly Chinese couple – husband 89, wife 80 at Woolloomooloo (if you’re new to Sydney Australia, I’d recommend come to Woolloomooloo for half of a day to enjoy what it has to offer day and night – beautiful harbour views, the city skyline, trendy bars and restaurants along the wharf and more).
I was chatting with them in my broken Cantonese mixed with some simple English. Even with a little language barrier, I learnt beyond words about their secret of happiness, and longevity. I felt ultra humble in front of them. The smiles on their faces were infectious. They were just like everyone’s grandpa and grandma.
What was so big deal about 1977? Well, that was the year they set foot on Australian soil for the first time – the taste of freedom. Before that, they’d lived a life of displaced people in other foreign lands – Thailand and Vietnam for a number of years since fleeing their home country China.
2020 is here, another new year, a beginning of a new decade, to most people is about setting new goals and making new year’s resolutions. But before we get too excited about starting off everything new and fresh, it’s important to look back at the past years to see how far we’ve come.
Whether we failed or succeeded at the end, every turn of new year is like a second chance given to us for free. In saying that, I assume you and I live in a free country, that means we have a free will to make decisions, to try and try again, to give as many shots as possible till we hit the target.
Today, the first day of 2020. What to celebrate?
Freedom! Let’s celebrate freedom! The freedom to learn, to unlearn, to marry, to divorce, to make mistakes, to make amends, to succeed, to fail, to write, to re-write, to speak, to not speak and so on. All these entitlements are just a way of life we’ve taken for granted.
Here’s to my readers, happy 2020! Thanks for being part of the journey. Remember, time always stands still when you have a story to tell. Watch this space!
Ted Tsai 