Make a whole new religion

I just finish reading Mitch Albom's The Five People You Meet In Heaven. It's not an amazing book I must say (although it made the long travelling hours back home from school more meaningful). But it got me thinking who will be the five people I'll meet in heaven.
In the short span of 24 years, I've got many life turning points. Actually, thinking back, I cannot believe it myself too. But it happened. I am grateful to each person or event at my every turning point. Some make me smile, some make me sad, others make me feel ashamed. But each of them tells me the same lesson - That I am stronger than what I think.

The people who I'll mention below are the people who I know consciously who impacted my life. I'm sure there are many people who curves my life-path in ways that I do not know and so I cannot correctly write about them here. I promise I'll say my love everytime we spend time together, and I'll thank you again when we meet in heaven (or hell).

Mrs Lim Sia How. My primary school teacher. She always carries her little blue notebook around. Fierce looking but kind hearted. She taught me that hard work always reap results. And I was a shy 12 year old boy with lots of silly questions about the world. She taught me that there's nothing in the world too stupid to ask. I'm grateful for her.

Mr Leong. My swimming coach. Suave and Handsome. I never knew if I can swim faster than him (maybe I can) because he was always standing by the pool screaming at us. My first experience with masochism. He taught me that when someone screams at you, it doesn't mean that he doesn't love about you. And when I finally left him to swim for SASA (Singapore Amateur Swimming Association), he says to me,"Finally! Long overdued. Come back swim when you are free." I never told anyone, but ever since I realised that he's no longer teaching at Toa Payoh Swimming Pool, I will feel down when I go there.

Miss Annette Kwan-Terry. My GP tutor. Never loses her cool. I remember the first day she walked into the class and I thought that she seems cold blooded. But she taught me that no one can trap you within a boundary unless you allow them to. She had her restrictions when she was teaching us. But she showed us a X-Rated movie, her back-packing pictures, taught us public speaking and many life lessons that the school accidentally left out in the curriculum. She showed me that being cool is really sexy and one should never stop wanting to grow. From six years ago, I never stopped to want to grow up to be like her.

These three people are no longer in my life, but I sure would want to see them again somewhere. Ask them if they remember me and thank them for changing my life.

Then, there is Tawfiq Kassir. But I still see him around. So there's no need to write about him now. hee. But I am really thankful that he is in my life now. Really.

And Hiro. The one who showed me all the colors in life. Much of my temper and likings are shaped by this one person. If there is a second chance, I'll go through everything again. No second thoughts. But if we will never see each other again on Earth, I hope we wouldn't meet in heaven. Because it will only remind me of the distance that forever separated us.

Labels: Gage'sWritings, Thoughts