Share a Song

It is quite possibly one of the greatest compliments to have a song played in your dedication. I just can't quite explain it.

Yesterday afternoon, a friend of mine said that he had a song for me to listen to. He said that the first time it started to play, I immediately came to mind. I read the lyrics in the accompanying booklet and my face was just turning colors. The song started to play and I had to keep myself from tearing by looking at the ground, the table, the ceiling, anywhere!

This year has been a beautiful one, but it has by no means been easy. This song reminded me that strength is not without its vulnerabilities.

My friend made my day by sharing this song.

Little Superhero Girl - Corrine May

I feel like a little girl
Trying to conquer the whole wide world
Everybody wants a piece of me
And i just dont know where to turn
I've got work piled up to my head
All i want to do is jump into bed
And wash away my troubles with lemonade
Play hide and seek with the boy next door
Take a trip to Singapore and
Imagine how i'll make the world a better place

All I need is a good disguise
One where nobody can recognise
That I'm feeling so small
All i need is a secret weapon
I've gotta have faith
Zapping monsters into outer space
I'm gonna be a superhero

Na-na-na-na-na-na
Na-na-na-na-na-na-na
Na-na-na-na-na-na
Yeah

If I were a little girl
Trying to clean up the whole wide world
I'd kick the bad boys back to school
Teach them fighting's just not cool
I'd give every kid a teddy bear
Turn starving people into millionaires
Break glass ceilings with dynamite
Sprinkle a little sugar and spice
Turn the bullies that terrorize into pink poodles that bark,
But don't bite

All i need is a good disguise
One where nobody can recognise
That I'm feeling so small
All i need is a secret weapon
I've gotta have faith
Zapping monsters into outer space
I'm gonna be a superhero

Hear the song here.

"If I'm Going To Be A Father"

"...I'm going to be a good one."

I found a cab to take me to the soccer field where my department would be playing its biggest game to date. "Astaka Field," I said. "Near Tun Hussein Eye Hospital?" He seemed timid, but then eagerly began to nod. Being late, I jumped in.

"You're my first customer," he admitted. I looked around the taxi, and it did not seem new. "You mean today?" "No no. Ever. Driving a taxi." I stammered, "Oh, lucky me! What an honor." Inside my stomach was churning. I would never get to the field on time.

As we spoke more he told me about how he had just been discharged from the hospital at 3 pm that day. It was nearing 6 pm. "What were you there for?" I found out that he had had heart surgery and had been bedridden for 3 months.

"Please don't strain yourself," I insisted. "Are you okay to drive?" He said, staring far ahead, "I'm just thinking of my kids. They allow me to drive."

After he had been discharged from the hospital, he went home, craving food with flavor. He sought out some rice, but found his wife had not prepared any for his arrival. She finally confessed to him that they had run out of money for food three days prior. Her and the three children had only been eating bread since then. Their entire savings had gone into financing his open-heart surgery.

So there he was, fresh out of the hospital. "What will the children eat when they come home at 6:30?" He quickly phoned a friend, asking just for a bit of money to cover food supplies. Not having much to offer, this friend said he could use his taxi for two hours to get money to buy food. Two hours.

I was his first passenger.

We spoke about a lot of things, but mostly I left him space to tell his story. By that time, the soccer match had been canceled due to rain. "God is funny sometimes," he joked. By the game being called off, he now had a secured passenger to go home. Pointing to the meter (which was running pretty high by then), he smiled and said that he could now provide for his family.

"It's my responsibility. If I'm going to be a father, I'm going to be a good one." Such simple words, but really, his position took it to the extreme - straight out of the hospital, heart surgery, no food. Wow. As I left the taxi, I gave him a bit more. It might seem a lot in Malaysia, but for me, it's like $5.

It could mean a day of food for his family.

In retrospect, people might say, "he's conning you" or "everyone has a sad story." I can't bring myself to subscribe to that. It takes an incredible amount of humility to admit that you are in dire straights and I want to be able to give people the benefit of the doubt when they are in their greatest time of need.


That man had a responsibility, and he has lived up to it despite the most incredible of conditions. His love and dedication towards his family shone through. That truly made and inspired my day.