During the last year of school one question we liked to ask ourselves was, "Where would you be 10 years from now?" There was something just so exhilarating about that question to a 17-year-old whose future was wide opened bursting with endless possibilities. I used to stare out of my bedroom window while doing my homework, daydreaming of what the future would be.
Well, as of today, exactly 10 years have passed since the the very last time I wore a secondary school uniform. The day was 11 December 1999, the last paper of SPM. One of the happiest days of my life. :)
10 years later, 11 December 2009, all of us were supposed to meet in McDonalds at Midlands. Needless to say, that won't be happening today. Being young at the time, we were naive enough to think that our friendship would be able to withstand the time of 10 years.
I can say that the 10 years have changed all of us in different ways. Some chose to grow apart and have nothing to do with the rest. But some of us decided to make that extra effort to keep each other in our lives no matter how busy or how far from each other we were.
To those few who are still in my life, I appreciate each and everyone of you. You have been there from the very start, my pre-Yin How years... the years where all us would argue who would be the first to have a boyfriend and get married. (we all know the answer by now... it wasn't me...).
I appreciate the fact that we grew up and faced every stage of life so far together... oh like how we had to keep up with somebody's latest boyfriends... or somebody's ever changing hairstyles or somebody's never-ending shocking announcements (you think you know a person from inside out after 15 years of friendship and yet she still has something to tell you which will shock you completely into silence). And there's something so nostalgic about seeing the girl you used to play with when you're young, grow up into a fine woman and witnessing the day she decides to tie the knot with her life long partner.
10 years can do a lot to a person. And it has done a lot to me (I hope not so much physically though). Looking back, I realized I always had a plan and stuck to that plan almost obsessively. First get a degree, then the first job, then the first car, then the first home, then the first husband (better add "and only"), then the wedding reception, then the very much delayed honeymoon. I planned exactly what I wanted by what age I wanted it (except for the honeymoon which I kept conveniently delaying).
But I realized that nothing always go according to plan. I went through good times and bad times.. my own as well as the girls who grew up with me. I learned to walk away then it hurts too much because not everything has a solution. I learned to let go of a lot of my naive thoughts that everything would be perfect as long as I had a perfect plan. And I've learned that sometimes it's not necessary to always have a plan. That now and then it's okay to just go with the flow and fill it with little surprises on the way.
After 10 years, would I have made the 17-year-old Mindy proud? I believe so. I hope so.
Today I get to answer the question the 17-year-old-me asked 10 years ago. I guess that now that I'm here, the next question would be, "Where would I be 10 years from now?" (Hopefully still alive... seriously).
***
In a way, a few of us did meet up for lunch today at Dragon-i. It's not McDonald's but hey, after 10 years, I think we can upgrade our taste buds for something better ;)
How was the pau?
Friday, December 11, 2009
Today 10 years ago, I asked this question
Posted by Mindy at 11:35 AM
Labels: Reflection on life
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12 comments:
hahaha was today the day we were supposed to meet? i tot it was 4th september :P
(i remember it so clearly coz its my bro's bday)
anyway how was the paos?? hahaha shud've taken sweet & sour fish :P
It's really been 10 years eh...
Didn't eat the pau yet. Still full from lunch. Will eat later today and update on the taste.
Haha, I can't remember the exact date we were suppose to meet up. But it was suppose to be 10 years in the future and 10 years ago from today was our last day of school. So for blogging purposes, I'll assume it's today. :P
I haven't had the pao yet as well... Still very full from the food that we kept picking from Soo Huey. ;)
it is 4th sep....my's right. and the meeting venue is not McD, it is Komtar's Maybank, am i right MY?
anyway, i do agree that everyone needs to put in a little (or a lot) effort to keep in touch. and like u, i appreciate all my frens who do :D
Your gang and my gang had different plans... Ours was at McD. Maybe if I dig out some of my old stuff, I might find the date we were suppose to meet. :P
oh yalo ours was supposed to be komtar maybank. then we said if komtar sudah tutup kedai baru changed to 1stop McD :P
we made that "promise" standing outside 4Sc classroom near the toilets ahhahaha...
Hmm... I can't seem to remember where 4 Sc classroom is... we were a floating class then izit? I have no memory of a classroom in form 4. In fact my memory of school is all blurry.
BTW, the pau was not nice. It was greasy and I could only eat half. The other half was stolen from the dining table by my dog. I think he appreciated it more than me.
We were floating class in f2 la :P
4Sc is the classroom behind the hall.
LOL I think all 3 of u found the pao not nice..
Shuey said is was VERY not nice, Mun Yi said prefer normal pao and now you said not nice too..
there goes their business :P
Really??? I'm trying to remember where I sat for 1 one year in form 4. In fact, I can't even remember where that classroom is.
Let me see.... Form 1, the classroom was upstairs just above 3 Aman right? But I have no memory at all of where I used to sit. Oh wait... I think I sat in front of Belly and Yee Ching... I remember because Yee Ching used to pinch and whack Belly for the fun of it. But I can't remember who I sat next to. Might have been Jasmine izit?
I remember Form 3 well because it was near the canteen and it's like a mad rush to the canteen to be the first in line. I think I sat behind... not sure... somewhere near Shu-Yin ah? I think next to Soma? My memory of Form 4 seems to be totally wiped out. I can remember Form 5 clearly, because of all the photos we took. I sat next to Soma, behind Mun Yi.
I remember how on the first day of a new school year, we used to rush into the classroom to grab a good seat. But somehow ah.... your group always seems to get the seats in the middle right under the fan, and my group always is seated at the side near the window. Hahaha...
hmm......
from my memory, the conversation about meeting 10yrs aft F5 at Komtar Maybank during Form 3(!) when we still had to go to school but do nothing coz PMR was over. or at least while we were sitting in 3 Aman classroom... At that time Komtar was still a big deal, so we still thot to meet at Komtar.
then i have a separate memory listening in on conversation bout meeting up 10yrs aft F5 at Komtar McD. this conversation was outside 5Sc classroom.
isn't 5 Sc classroom near toilets, but 4 Sc further down? all the Form 5s before the Form 4s, no meh?
mindy, our school has two blocks for classrooms. one for lower sec where 3 Aman was with 1 Aman upstairs; another block with F4 & 5 classrooms all upstairs n pure science labs and KH cooking classes downstairs. the block with the hall had no classes when we were in school, only library, ADP room, co-op, sch office, principal's office etc.
how in the world did u remember last day of SPM was 11th Dec???
Hahaha.... I remember because the last day of SPM was Erica's birthday. And I remember that because we took photos of the last day of SPM and we were eating KFC at school. Erica's parents brought KFC to celebrate. :)
Or at least I think that's what happened. My memory is so bad that I can't say I'm 100% certain. :P
Min, i can't stop laughing(u, mun and jas woul know why).... and i'm at work. I hope my colleagues dont think i have gone mad. Sorry i missed the reunion, will make it up when im in Penang.
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