I am a glutton for leftovers

You cannot blame me for what I am. When I was young during the 70’s, yes, when bell bottoms was a fad and mini-skirts was a hit, I was taught by my mum not to waste food. Yes, eat every bit of food in your plate and on the table not to be wasted. “Apha, eat all your food” said mum, “there are people who are starving and have nothing to eat” mum continued, “eat it all up and don’t waste food” she huffed.

Well, you can imagine what sort of image that created in my mind. Poor me, till today I certainly could not forget those words and that’s why I am sharing this today. “When organic food ends up in landfills, it breaks down ever so slowly and releases polluting leachate and the greenhouse gas, methane” (The Star, 5 Jan 2010).

I certainly do not contribute much to greenhouse gas coz not much leftovers except for bones and skins get left behind. I have the habit of keeping unfinished food and not throwing them away. With modern refrigeration, it doesn’t go bad to be worried about food poisoning. It actually becomes my breakfast meal the next day. Don’t get me wrong. I am not trying to prevent green house effect but only that my mothers’ words are still ringing in my ear after all these years that made me a glutton for leftovers.

Reaching out from behind the rocks

 Apha Rock

My parenting skills not getting better.

When I was a young parent, I always wanted to give everything to my kids. I fed them whatever they like. And guess what kids like, yes you guess it, fast food joint, ice creams, chocolate, things that is bad for you. I bought them toys or whatever fancy's them when we are out in the shopping malls. 

Why, you ask did I do that? As I was growing up, I only got presents during my birthday and Christmas and nothing else in-between. So, I thought to myself, hey, why not give my kids whatever they want so that they feel fulfilled. Was I unfulfilled, when I was growing up? Come to think of it, no. Maybe I was materially unsatisfied; all the toys my parents could have bought for me and think of all the fun I would have. So, I thought, let's give my kids whatever they want so they can have all the fun and say what a nice dad I have buying me whatever I want. As they grew older, I realised they were getting spoilt and not appreciating all the gifts and toys that they have. It is always strewn across the floor and someone has to pickup after them.

I cannot remember what year it was now and what prompted me to do so but one day I declared to aloud to them that from this year forth, there will be no presents from me to you for birthdays and Christmas. That was harsh but I felt that we had to go back to the basic life not surrounded by material things. Of course, they still receive gifts and presents from relatives during their birthdays and Christmas but not from me. I will only buy practical things for them, not toys or gifts that had no practical use. As years went by, I am not sure whether it made them better people appreciative of the things that they have but I felt I did the right thing. 

 Anyways, the food I mentioned earlier, well, they grew to be obese children and that I definitely have to be blamed for. I am sure they are blaming me now though they enjoyed it while they were younger. But parents should know better than to feed their kids with junk food. Of course, being a teenager now, my children are eating right but no thanks to me. Of course, now that they are teenagers, a whole new set of parenting skills I have to acquire and I do not think my parenting skills are getting any better.

I am reaching out from behind the rocks

 Apha Rock

You know when you are getting old.

When do we know we are getting old? What I mean here is not the general sense of growing old, that is, when we are retired and on a walking stick. What I am pondering is in a family unit. Remember the days when you and your spouse as a couple having children after they getting married. You feed and nurture their child with nourishment of both body and the mind. Then you teach them the ways of life, the rights and wrong. You know how young Jimmy was always so inquisitive and ask "Mummy, mummy, mummy...daddy, daddy, daddy,... why, why, why, or how, how, how?" 

We were showing them the ways and imparting our knowledge and wisdom to them. Technology, the internet, and the advent of social networking sites have created an abundance of "new knowledge". And there are many baby boomers like me are now learning the ways of the young. 

I am now asking my 17 year daughter to show me how to start a blog of my own. Yesterday, when I was eating breakfast, it dawn upon me that I was the one asking those questions. And those questions was, "mimi dear, why, why, why...how, how, how?" It hit me there and then, at that very moment that I began to realize that the torch has been passed and that, I was getting old.