A lot of stuff have been going through my head last week. So much, that I'm just about ready to burst from the information overload. But regardless, This has once again helped me to realise several stuff. It's like I'm slowly untying the knots to a really complicated rope. The process is slow, but eventually, I'll get it done.
As a few of my friends might already know, I've been working hard on my manga these few months, and because of this, I've developed a serious nostalgia factor. How I wish I could go back to the days of my secondary school life. How I wish I could laugh and fight with my friends like I used to. But no, this isn't going to happen anymore. Back in the days, I found that nagging adults were friggin' annoying. How about now? Not anymore. I've realised, a lot of times, when parents are argueing with their children, the children will usually end up shouting, "You don't know what I'm going through!" at their parents. Only now then I realise that this isn't true at all. Adults were teenagers like you and me before. Of course they'll know what puberty is like. Of course they have went through that inevitable tough period that every kid goes through. And it's because of our own good that they nag at us, to prevent us from doing the wrongs they did when they were young. But what do all of us do? We brush em off and paid no attention to what they said. I feel that I'm already in a suitable position to advise the secondary school kids on what to do already. This is what I would want to tell them if I ever get the chance to:
'Live out your secondary school life fruitfully. If not, one day, you'll be like me, looking back at your secondary school life and thinking, "Shit, I shouldn't have done that then." Somewhere in your secondary school life, you'll eventually come across a huge barrier that you'll have to overcome. The barrier is different from everyone else, and it might take place during anytime in your secondary school life. My barrier came up during secondary 3, and how much I regret not handling it well. Trust the adults that gives you advice. They've been there. They know how to handle the problems. One day, when you're older and a little more mature, you'll come to realise that everything they've said is for your own good."
I realise that this post is a little deeper than what I usually write, but that's only because I had to get this off my chest. And despite knowing that I can never go back to my secondary school life, and live out my life as a kid again, I still harbor the thoughts of it. Doing a manga that involves high school life does that to you. It's a good thing I suppose... Keeps my memories of those 4 years of my life fresh at the very least. People might say that I'm dwelling in the past, but no, I'm bringing my past into the present. Ever heard of a manga auto-biography? Yeah, me neither. But I have plans on doing it in the future... when I have grandkids of my own. When I'm too old and frail to run around like I could when I was younger. Yeah. It's only 40 to 50 years down the road. It'll come soon. Real soon. During then, I hope I can do what Mel and I talked about before. Bunch of old friends as old men meeting up at a kopitiam and drinking coffee, reminicising about the past. Yeah, I look forward to this day.
