Small Worlds Collide.

In life, we are almost never fully aware of the power we each have to send out ripples into the world, ripples which change perspectives, impact lives, small cause small worlds to collide.

I've had a number of people ask about Grandpa Zhou lately. His health has been much better, and he's been doing well. Today, on my way home from a day's lesson of learning how to suture surgical stiches, a friend, B randomly said, "Oh yes! And I just wanted to tell you- did you know, after I read about Grandpa Zhou, haha, I was so inspired. Haha, my girlfriend and I, we stopped for a lady selling tissue paper across a bridge, we've decided to stop for her more often- Grandma Chen! "


We keep thinking we need to fund-raise mindblowing figures, accomplish impressive projects and perform great and mighty wonders before we can make a difference to our world around us. I used to think so too. I really did- I thought dreams had to fill entire galaxies to be considered the least bit worthy.


But now I see, it is in the smallest things, too, by which we can send out ripples. We keep thinking our small actions don't count, that one life touched is just too insignificant a figure. But it's not true. I realise now- that it's not true.

Our random Encounters matter. For every life we meet, we send out ripples into new worlds. And sometimes, these worlds even collide... beautifully.

Some of you may remember this- that I met Hideo, a homeless old man roaming about in Singapore many months ago. I liked him because he had a passion for what he did, writing- and was not afraid to go hungry for it. He would exclaim, in a clear voice of power and exuberance, "Man does not live by bread alone!"

I loved to listen to his profound ideals about life. He was a homeless man sleeping at the airport, but I loved that he was true to himself, and never despised himself in spite of the way the world saw him. Like Grandpa Zhou, he takes his art very seriously. They both hold on to dreams which carries them into a wispy old age with that fierce glint in their eyes, never fading for a moment. And they both hold onto an almost child-like form of idealism which cause them not to quite fit into this world, cause them to be somewhat misunderstood yet passionate, burning with hope and drive for their ideals and values, even if they might seem somewhat unacceptable by practical standards.

Two days ago, I find an email from a Stranger in Tokyo:

Hi Wai Jia,

I found your blog because you mentioned Hideo Asano in your article here: http://kitesong.blogspot.com/2007/05/hideo-asano.html

I met Hideo a few weeks ago in Tokyo - we spent a lot of time together and I decided to help him - so I did his website :) If you could add a link to his website in your article, it would be a great help to promote his work.

He is quite struggling at the moment - it is raining in Tokyo for nearly two weeks - he is sleeping in the park - so a lot of trubble for him. I try to help him with his website - perhaps I am able to attract a publisher by this website - that's why I want as many backlinks to hideoasano.com as possible to get a better ranking in Google.

So thanks :)

Carl





A life is not merely one person, not merely a figure on a checklist on ways to save the world. For random Encounters are like ripples, too. They touch not only lives, but worlds, and when they do, it's just amazing to see how small our world is, how close and near our worlds really are.


A homeless Japanese man who sleeps in airports. Singapore. Tokyo.


Grandpa Zhou. A reader of a tiny blog. Grandma Chen, on another side of the country.


We send ripples, make impacts on people's lives all the time, every moment.

" I just wanted to tell you how reading about Grandpa Zhou inspired me to speak with Grandma Chen! Just wanted to tell you, that's all. Hahahaha... "

I am learning, it's the small things which count, too.

Small worlds collide.