Ray Bradbury, the famous author once said: "People ask me to predict the future, when all I want to do is prevent it. Better yet, build it." Throughout this globe, just about every individual has a hope, a future, a dream, something worth working for, something worth building. Woohoo, wikiquotes rocks man, thousands of useful quotes i could use anytime. Anyway, i was thinking about wad i wrote just now, and i decided that for the fun of it, i should write something about the future. So heres it:

Humankind is weird. We put ourselves through enduring routines, we allow ourselves to give up many many things in life, we willingly give up our right to total freedom(such as tv, or even an occasional drink). Parents put their children through gruelling lessons, pouring millions into an already thriving tution industry. Children alike, spend countless hours, poring over textbooks and self-helps. Even in the sub-saharan, parents teach their young extra values, in the hope that they will become people who can contribute to their tribes. So much, in the hope that one day, they will become people of status; a doctor, a lawyer, or even a politician, anyone who might change the world in big or small ways.

Yet, this phenomenon is not unique to humans. The animal kingdom has its own ways of pinning hopes on the young. Though there are anomalies, most animal parents will do their best(best is quite subjective though) for their offspring. Like the cuckoo, which will invade the nests of other birds, throw out the eggs that were originally in there, and leave its young there to be raised by a surrogate mother. While it does display some lousy parenting, you cant deny the fact that it was done in the hopes that the offspring would be raised well.(Even if it means having to lose them)

They say ghosts are the images of those with unfinished business, those who still have things left undone. If thats the case, children are like the ghosts of their parents, brought up with the mission of completing the unfinished business of their parents. Being a chinese, i was brought up with relatively strong values. Just as many people were brought up aiming to fulfil the aspirations of their parents, i was brought up in the hope that someday, i would be able to lead a satisfying, adequately wealthy life. To say that chinese love to pin their hopes on their children is fully justified. When you watch olden shows, the main characters on the verge of death stereotypically will mention their last words, with their hope that their sobbing descendents will be able to succeed and not follow their footsteps.

I guess one thing is universal: we fear what we do not know. We fear that our future would become desolate if we bought one less self-help. We fear not being able to attain the degree we want, because losing it would mean "a less bright future". Everyone wants the best for themselves, they want the future to be bright, their paths to be clear, hence, the basic instinct to drive our young to strive for the best, will be a phenomenon that is here to stay.

(Haha, i thot the ghost paragraph wasnt very coherent with the rest of the essay, but i love it too much to take it away)

Theres a fine line between adulthood and adolescence. Subconciously, i've been thinking quite a fair bit about alot of "adult" issues; my future career, wad subs i wanna take in Uni, wad kinda house i want in the future. To an extent, i look forward to the future so much, its become like a beacon of hope for me. The things i missed out in the past, the things i envied others of, have all been pinned to my expectations of my future. Perhaps placing my hopes in my future is one way to add meaning to my already contented-with life.
I guess im at an age where i've to start deciding the things i want in life. There wont really be people around who tell me to start thinking about it, so i guess it just happens naturally.
So many wants, so many hopes.

Its scary to remember the fact that within 3 months, i'll be entering a new phase of my manhood - NS. Its also scary to know that soon after NS, even the law will recognise me as an adult. A part of me is engulfed in fear. What if i become someone i never imagined myself to be? A drunkard, a gambler, or maybe even a hawker(haha, though its quite cool if i really become a hawker) Yet, part of me yearns for it to come to past. I yearn to know what will become of me. Selfishly, I yearn for the possibility of better-ing my life, to make myself become the person i dream of becoming.

Just yesterday, this thought struck me again: What if one day, God asks me to give up all that i've planned for myself, my dreams, my aspirations, my expectations. He asked once, but if He were to ask again, it wont be the same. I wont know how i will react, but this im sure, that when He asks, He has already a plan in mind. One that is better than what i have for myself. =)