All That You Can Be

I have commented or lamented many a time about the unique set of circumstances that surround our existence as kids born in the 70s and 80s here in Singapore. A few friends of mine are now revisiting this idea and evaluating their in life where satisfaction and happiness is concerned. These friends, mostly ex-colleagues, are in the late 20s and early 30s, have substantial education and won't quite qualify as financially disadvantaged (at the surface anyway). Most concerns stem from the jobs they have. Are they really happy with what they are doing, or if this is the job for them. What would they be doing in the next few years? Are they settling?

Singaporeans have to settle. It is the nature of our lives here. Boys have to do NS, kids have to study hard or get left behind, our CPF is locked up in our homes or dished out in meagre sums when we are 62 and older.

We get jobs right after school because no one is going to feed you. We keep on working and trying to make more money because in the end, money could make us happier. Our lives are caught up with work. In most cases, people marry and have kids, contributing to an increasing burden for the finances to keep up. That's the 'settling' we face now. We live to work.

Will we work all our lives? Maybe. Already we're seeing old folks cleaning up in hawker centres because they need money to live - no such thing as retirement. Maybe that's why we need kids - for them to take of parents who are penniless in their old age. These kids will be the ones who only see their parents before school and after 7pm because no one afford to be a stay-home mum or dad.

So are we enriching our lives in this existence? I don't think so. I asked some people I met for a movie if they were given a first class ticket to anywhere and a permanent residence in that country with nothing else, would they take it? All three said yes. Getting out seems like a dream come true for the younger set of the working class. Singapore not good enough anymore? Scary thought.

Is competition getting to us? Is the island too small for our ambitions? (One of the three above wanted a farm). Are there too many constraints for a happy life here? Does a happy life in Singapore come with limits? I think yes. It's easier not to ask any questions and placate our sense of claustrophobia with multiple holidays and lottery tickets. Seriously though, it's worth thinking about. You might get depressed but we can always solve that with beer. Or get back to work. Keeping busy prevents one from veering off the 'settled' path.