Red Cross Flag Day

310104. Yes, RC flag day. It's the first time I'm not involved after so many years. Let's see... I started being aware of selling flags for RC since erm... P3!!! Used to do collections in school then. It's not only when I got to Sec2 that I started street collections. Why? Well, not old enuff lahz!

Over the years, my mindset about flag day has changed. Used to be "Hee, so fun, get to skip class, go around and collect money" then became "Yay, get to chalk up CIP hrs" then "Bleah, it's a chore but sigh, RC needs money lah" and more recently, "RC NEEDS MONEY!!! MORE MORE MORE!" I never could stand those people that collect a tin then go off somewhere else to spend the day, returning later only to hand in a 99.99% empty tin. Still remember one year when I was involved in counting the collections and we found a tin with only a few 1 cent and 5 cents coins in it. You think that was bad? Well, there was one with tokens from an arcade! Does tell much about the "volunteer" ya?

Yes, I admit that selling flags can be quite a chore. Hey! You stand for a few hours, get rejected but hundreds of people and still have to smile and say, "Sir/Madam, would you like to make a donation? It's to the Singapore Red Cross." "Thank you Sir/Madam" But, think about how the money you collect will help people. I think it's worth it.

Hmm... yup, back to the fact that this is the first year I'm not involved (shan't count last year when there wasn't even a flag day). I woke up this morning knowing that something's happening today but I couldn't remember what. Then it just came... Oh! Flag day! Sigh. I thought I could be down today, even agreed to helping Mel at her collection center quite some time ago. Why aren't I there? Simple. I'm in KL now. School fees due on the 4th and I came all the way back to hand it in because I left my invoice and re-registration form in the apt. Wonderfully smart of me right? I'm so proud of myself too!

2004, no involvement in any RC event yet. (I hope "yet" is the correct word to use) Not good, not good at all. We'll see how things go, I guess.

Indifference

\In*dif"fer*ence\, n. [L. indifferentia similarity, want of difference: cf. F. indiff['e]rence.] 1: unbiased impartial unconcern 2: apathy demonstrated by an absence of emotional reactions [syn: emotionlessness, impassivity, impassiveness, phlegm, stolidity, unemotionality] 3: the trait of lacking enthusiasm for or interest in things generally [syn: apathy, spiritlessness] 4: the trait of remaining calm and seeming not to care; a casual lack of concern [syn: nonchalance, unconcern]

Strange post on the first day of CNY ya? Well, not much of celebrations this year and anyway, CNY is just another day... so here's my so called inappropriate post for the day. Heh.

Was just thinking, in the past, I used to be so concerned about what's happening to my sec sch unit, about what's happening to BW unit and about what's happening in RC in general. Nowadays... I don't know. I mean, when my juniors, cadets and friends update me, I'm still interested but I no longer ask if no one updates me. It's a case of "if you tell me, I'm interested, I'm concerned, if you don't tell me, I won't bother finding out"

Just take for example talenttime, in the past, I'll be calling people even before the competition end to find out the results. This time round, I only know that the BW cadets did well (and that's 'cos David smsed me)... and don't know anything else. Sigh.

Is this good or bad? Is it a sign that I'm no longer concerned about other people? Is it a sign that I consider RC a thing of the past (wrt my life lahz)? Does it mean that I'm moving on? Is it because I've been away for so long? I don't know. But this whole indifference on my part does trouble me.

Sigh

Considering what has been happening for the last few days, today was pretty OK. To those who don't know, I'm back in JB. Rushed back on tuesday morning.

Hmm... got my results through a friend today, passed. That's one good news. Another is that Dad's out of CCU. I hope everything will be OK soon. Hope he'll be spending CNY with us this year. Sigh, I never knew how much it hurts to see someone you love suffer, now I do. Sometimes, life just plain sucks.