NG Editor's Note - May 2010

"Science helps us to understand many things: 

We can track a hurricane and measure a tsunami's wall of water. 

But some things are beyond the dissecting lens of science. 

An aching heart, for one."

- Chris Johns 

National Geographic Editor's Note 

(May 2010)

Life in unexpected places

Growing on a tree outside Kallang Tennis Centre

Kallang Tennis Centre has shut its doors once again for renovation for the Youth Olympics in August. I am also temporarily (hopefully!) suspending my tennis lessons. Unfortunately, I cannot afford more lessons at the moment.

I enjoy tennis very much and I am thankful to have a very good (though expensive) coach. It's one of those things that I feel I really learnt quite properly and it will keep me in good stead for a long time. My coach, at times, dispenses surprisingly good advice that I could relate to learning and to life.

'Learning to play the right way is important. If you keep practising the right technique, you will get sharper and sharper. If you keep practising with the wrong technique, what is sharp will become blunt'

'When you serve, feel one with the ball'

'When you do the ball toss, and it does not feel right to serve, just let it go. Don't attempt to catch the ball, just let it go and try again'

- Coach Stanley

When he said these things to me, it was pretty strong stuff for 7 in the morning. But it sank in, I could relate it to other aspects of life and the meaning becomes manifold.

A different life

I started to realise that it will be close to three months since I have been without a proper job. One that assures you of a healthy flow of monies on a certain day of each month and a relatively predictable rhythm of life. In fact, I do like that. There is an old comfort in those things. 

But I am experiencing a life of a very different kind. I am never quite sure of my working days until the end of the week. My working tools are more of needle and thread and I almost do not use a computer at all during work.

I meet more people, and on somedays, none at all. I have found friends in the sky, in the garden, and in books. 

Work is thus

I am beginning to realise the infinite possibilities and abilities within each person as I begin to realise how truly many stars there are. Even as I realise that, I cannot deny the many questions in my heart.

I am learning, learning to be patient.

As Rilke puts it, '...ripening like the tree which does not force its sap and stands confident in the storms of spring without the fear that after them may come no summer. It does come. But it comes only to the patient, who are there as though eternity lay before them, so unconcernedly still and wide.'

O, to be still and wide!