Went back to NUS on a Saturday night to return my library books--they're overdue, probably need to pay a fine for one day. Somehow when I went back this time, many memories--mostly to do with the last two sems and courtship--just came rushing back. My mind went into a frenzy, and I activated full concentration to recall events in chronology. I began to think of the nights spent in NUS, in particular that one night (and only one in my entire NUS life) that we stayed up late till 2 a.m. at the AS6 corridor doing our Social Psych project. It felt good for once staying back late in school--quiet and free from the usual hustle and bustle, bantering with great company...

I also remembered in year four how we used to go for classes when there was still daylight, and by the time class dismissed, we came out only to be greeted by the moon. It was so miserable sitting through 2 hours of Ram Singh's social psych--somehow it got more bearable as the sem went on, and I wonder why. I would always remember that sense of liberation after being dismissed from class, and those walks to the carpark outside Eusoff Hall. It was just so nice and cool in the night, and the carpark would be so empty. It felt kinda cool knowing that you were one of those last few "survivors". Gosh, I MISS THOSE DAYS, or rather NIGHTS!

Whoever came up with the phrase "The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence" was truly perceptive. Like it or not, as much as I mentioned previously that contentment is to gain, the 'greener grass' phenomenon is something that we experience quite often. Working people will always reminisce and muse over their good-old-days in school, and sigh and wish they could turn back the clock and return to that era. Yet when they were in school, you know what they all thought about ya. People are a dissatisfied lot; we are constantly evaluating supposedly better alternatives for ourselves. I really wanna try not to look over the fence too often.

Well, as much as we all love to immerse ourselves in the past, it's even more important to live in the moment and savour every sweet and precious minute of our present existence. I'm so glad God gave us memories, and I'm even more glad that He gave us life's little joys. That even as we grow older and move from stage to stage, we always have something joyful to look forward to. After moving out of school, there are the joys of getting a new job, earning your first pay, getting married, and having your own "product". Of course these are accompanied by tremendous responsibility and fear, but lots of satisfaction and joy too.

~lene

[Written on 13 May, 2130hrs]