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YWednesday, August 1, 2007
Self-Financed Lessons In Life Labels: Musings
I lost 40 dollars today.
Actually it wasn't so much lost as it was having a stranger reach into my bag and rifle about my things and take it out of my wallet.
Perhaps the strangest part about this entire ordeal was how I discovered that I was a victim of theft. It was after training, I was in the changing room, wearing back my school uniform. Suddenly my phone rang, and my friend said to me:
"Check your wallet."
I was filled with dread. I thought she was threatening me. Or that it was some sort of premonition, that I would find a severed finger or an eyeball inside my wallet. I mean, how many of you have ever had someone call you and ask you to check your wallet? I then opened it cautiously, and sighed with relief that there were no human bits to be seen. Unfortunately, my money was also nowhere to be seen.
I think it is quite amusing that I was robbed in ACJC.
I expected myself to be really angry. I waited for my subconscious to take over and begin uttering a string of expletives. However, nothing happened. I waited a little longer. Still nothing happened. I did not have any reaction at all.
My only response could be described as... underwhelming.
"I've been robbed. Oh, okay. Time to go home now."
I found this to be quite disturbing. Why wasn't I angry?
It was quite a sizable sum of money for a student with no source of income. That sort of money would have lasted me more than 2 weeks if I didn't splurge. I think I felt this nonchalance because of the way I've been brought up. Money has never really been an issue to me. My parents have provided me with more than enough. Maybe I don't see its value? Perhaps one day when I raise my own children and one of them loses 40 of my hard earned dollars then I'll feel the heartache.
I think it's also my attitude. I knew, when I found out my cash was gone, that there was nothing I could do. Tell a teacher? That would a waste of both our time. Complain? Get angry? Bitch? How would that help? Next time I'll just be a little more careful. It was, after all, partially my fault.
I know that I could never live with myself if I ever did this sort of thing, unless of course, it was absolutely necessary. If I had a starving baby sister to feed, I wouldn't feel that guilty for giving her a chance to live. But I really doubt anyone in ACJC is in that sort of situation. All I can do is hope that the person's conscience eats into him. I know that is what would happen to me.
Perhaps I've just learned to look on the bright side of life. I mean, at least the thief was thoughtful enough to leave my coins inside, so that in the case of my EZ-Link card running out of money, I would still be able to get home. This is the sort of consideration I would like to see in the future generation of Singaporean thieves.