Chalet reflections (4Farmers)
Hey all. Back after a short hiatus and a chalet with my beloved 4 Farmers. Would now like to share some of my reflections, so I'm sorry in advance if my feelings are not shared.
Last night, or this morning if you wanna be technical, a few of us sat around the bbq pit polishing off the chicken wings. I dunno what happened, but we suddenly went silent, each lost in our thoughts. I looked around and saw the many different, yet colourful characters and personalities that made up and is the very essence of 4F. We had so much fun over the course of the last two years, and it just suddenly struck me, and perhaps almost all present, that it was truly the last night that we could be together, under the label of "classmates". For in a short while, we have to take on the label of "EX-classmates", and gone will be the days where we could laugh together like we did for the last two years. Somehow, there was an unspoken warmth and I get the feeling that there were many words left unsaid, that it didn't seem fitting enough to be a full stop that capped the last two years. It was a nice experience to be sitting together and talking, and I think it's just me, but somehow, I think we all realised it was all coming to an end. And I don't think anybody wanted it to end.
The most eventful thing of the chalet was the "explosion" of the makeshift BBQ pit, the details of which most likely will be found on the blogs of others. What I wanna talk about, is the aftermath of the explosion, which to me, really underlined the extent of our friendship. In some, the leadership qualities took over and started damage control. Some tended to the wounded. Some rushed out a contingency plan. The point? I saw so many people working together to salvage the situation, which to me underlines the genuine love, care and concern we all have for each other. Despite the many differences we might have from person to person, it is clear that we can put those differences aside and put our heads together to work towards a common goal. So the question that remains, is this. Why don't we? Sure, the one common goal we all had is over, but the journey of life means more than just results. On this journey of life, we reach many roadblocks and detours, but we find ways around them, not stop completely. I know my voice doesnt amount to much, but I really wish, and hope, that we all can part on happy terms as a class, and not end two really great years with ill feelings. Maybe it's too much to ask, but can't we just shelve aside our pride and settle all disagreements amicably, so that we can put a wonderful full stop, instead of a messy one? Can't we just all be a little selfless, end this journey appropriately, and start the next journey, the one we walk together as friends, on the right note?
Relationships splinter, and relationships crack. Relationships may not all last long and be marathons, but at least we can say that we tried repairing the cracks. Sure, it may be just plastering over the cracks, but at least we can say we did that. At least we didn't just not do anything. I'd like to believe that trying and failing is better than not trying at all. So my plea is this -- let's settle our differences and not part on bad terms. Let's try to show the genuine concern and love without the need for an unforseen circumstance to catalyse these feelings. Why bother to have anger and misunderstandings ruin the relationships that we've built up over four years? What does that acheive, but more anger, heartache, unhappiness and disappoinment? We've shown in the past that we can be united, so why don't we? Is pride really that important? Like the saying goes, don't wait for the hearse to take you to church, and in the same way, should we let something really major happen before we wake up and regret not repairing those cracks? And when that time comes, won't regretting be too late?
I know, that I have no business saying what I'm about to say. I hope those reading will respect my point of view. Lately, it has come to my attention (Ah shucks that just sounded so formal) that there has been a few internal conflicts among the class. I just wanna take this opportunity to voice my opinion. People may call me idealistic or whatnot, but I believe, that we can put our heads together to solve the issues. I know how difficult it can be for two people at loggerheads to settle things amicably and not let issues boil over for too long. I've struggled with that before, and in fact, I have just been involved in a similar situation, in which I have been quick to blame and slow to forgive. There are always two sides to a coin, and likewise, why should either side be quick to insist that they are absolutely right? In sixteen years, if there's something I've learnt, it's that nobody can be absolutely right, all the time. So maybe we should all take a step back, and then reflect on our position through the eyes of others. Maybe then, we'll start understanding the actual position and stand that we are taking. Maybe then, we'll be able to glue together the fragments of our friendship.
Me, as a silent observer, I'm deeply saddened by the twist in our friendships. I wonder what has happened to the old 4F, when we would laugh together and be truly united, even if it meant at the expense of others. Does that mean that at the end of four years, when we stand before the raging vortex that threatens to consume our very souls and spit out our remains mercilessly that is society, we have started to adopt the very mentality that is the hallmark of society? Have we started forsaking friends for personal gain? Have we started building an axis around us for the world to spin around? What has happened to our childhood innocence, that the extent of our arguments has to grow from "I don't friend you already" to "Just leave me alone, I dun care if you live or die"? Does that mean that once we hit age 16, we must start adopting society's approach to caring for our fellow man? And talking about society, why must we conform to the definition of normal by society? Can't we just live our lives the way we want to, as long as our consciences are clear? Yes, it's an idealistic Nirvana, but if we work together, we as the next generation can and will make that a reality.
