I want to be a human again, not an object.

    As this world's technology is getting so advanced, we seem to forget how to be a human. This thought is especially strong recently. Doesn't matter whether I am in Japan or my home country, Malaysia. Especially in Japan, based on my experience, elder people are always kinder and down to earth. Yet, starting from alpha generations, many seem to be cold and immature. Maybe it is due to their young age. 

    The reason I thought of this, is that I went to university three years later than I should've been. The chance of meeting younger generations is more. I find some of them have mature thoughts, but many are still naive. 

    Japan has a culture of obeying the elder, people with seniority, or upperclassmen a.k.a. "senpai". I did not know it was that strong until I was assigned to a lab. In the first year, I joined this lab, one of my colleagues, which we call "douki(同期)" reply a pathetic answer after my doubts on senpai's decision. There was a task to do requiring from senpai. I had doubts whether it will work fine. I questioned my colleagues and he said, "Senpai is always right.". I was surprised by his reply. What I thought was no matter how old a person can be, there is always a chance that a person will make mistakes. Based on what evidence that you claim that senpai is always right. The statement that my colleague made makes me think that he is more like a working robot, instead of a human. It is quite common that the locals here think that it is easier to obey that think or criticize a situation. 

    This incident helped me rethink Japanese society. It is about time for them to change. Yet sadly, many young Japanese generations are not yet ready for a change. Even if they agree on revolutions, many of them are just agreeing and only a small number will take practical actions. One of the reasons is many are taught to be obedient. Sadly that is still the situation, and I hope that the table will be turned for a better future.

    Anyway, here are some good suggestions I took from Facebook. It was shared in 2015. But I still think it is worth sharing again. Take a look.

1. Fall and Rise

Today, when I slipped on the wet tile floor a boy in a wheelchair caught me before I slammed my head on the ground.  He said, “Believe it or not, that’s almost exactly how I injured my back 3 years ago.

2. A father's advice

Today, my father told me, “Just go for it and give it a try!  You don’t have to be a professional to build a successful product.  Amateurs started Google and Apple.  Professionals built the Titanic

3. The power of uniqueness.

Today, I asked my mentor – a very successful businessman in his 70’s – what his top 3 tips are for success.  He smiled and said, “Read something no one else is reading, think something no one else is thinking, and do something no one else is doing.

4. Looking Back

Today, I interviewed my grandmother for part of a research paper I’m working on for my Psychology class.  When I asked her to define success in her own words, she said, “Success is when you look back at your life and the memories make you smile.

5. Try and U shall know

I am blind by birth. When I was 8 years old, I wanted to play baseball. I asked my father- "Dad, can I play baseball?" He said, "You'll never know until you try." When I was a teenager, I asked him, - "Dad Can I become a surgeon?". He replied "Son, you'll never know until you try." Today I am a Surgeon, just because I tried!

6. GOODNESS & GRATITUDE

Today, after a 72-hour shift at the fire station, a woman ran up to me at the grocery store and gave me a hug.  When I tensed up, she realized I didn’t recognize her.  She let go with tears of joy in her eyes and the most sincere smile and said, “On 9-11-2001, you carried me out of the World Trade Center.”

7. LOVE CONQUERS PAIN

Today, after I watched my dog get run over by a car, I sat on the side of the road holding him and crying.  And just before he died, he licked the tears off my face.

8. A DOOR CLOSES TO OPEN ANOTHER

Today at 7AM, I woke up feeling ill, but decided I needed the money, so I went to work. At 3PM I got laid off. On my drive home I got a flat tire. When I went into the trunk for the spare, it was flat too. A man in a BMW pulled over, gave me a ride, we chatted, and then he offered me a job.  I start tomorrow.

9. LOOKING BACK

Today, as my father, three brothers, and two sisters stood around my mother’s hospital bed, my mother uttered her last coherent words before she died. She simply said, “I feel so loved right now. We should have gotten together like this more often.”

10. AFFECTION

Today, I kissed my dad on the forehead as he passed away in a small hospital bed.  About 5 seconds after he passed, I realized it was the first time I had given him a kiss since I was a little boy.

11. INNOCENCE

Today, in the cutest voice, my 8-year-old daughter asked me to start recycling. I chuckled and asked, “Why?” She replied, “So you can help me save the planet.”  I chuckled again and asked, “And why do you want to save the planet?” “Because that’s where I keep all my stuff,” she said.

12. JOY

Today, when I witnessed a 27-year-old breast cancer patient laughing hysterically at her 2-year-old daughter’s antics, I suddenly realized that I need to stop complaining about my life and start celebrating it again.

13. KINDNESS

Today, a boy in a wheelchair saw me desperately struggling on crutches with my broken leg and offered to carry my backpack and books for me.  He helped me all the way across campus to my class and as he was leaving he said, “I hope you feel better soon.”.

14. SHARING

Today, I was traveling in Kenya and I met a refugee from Zimbabwe.  He said he hadn’t eaten anything in over 3 days and looked extremely skinny and unhealthy.  Then my friend offered him the rest of the sandwich he was eating.  The first thing the man said was, “We can share it.”