44 years more to live?

I just finished playing a new board game with Elijah and Sarah, 'Puerto Rico". I won.

I literally slept through the first half an hour or so while Elijah read the instructions on how to actually play the game.. it was 100% complicated. So if you thought settlers was even a little complex, trust me - it was no match to this game. In fact, this game didn't even use a dice like Settlers - no luck, pure brains. So Settlers was a little like Monopoly in fact - 25% brains, 75% luck. Puerto Rico was 100% brains and 0% heart. Lol!

It was our first time playing, and I have to admit that I didn't do it on my own - took some advice from Sarah and Elijah. Thanks to Elijah for all his sabotages as well.. oh well.. he wasted all my doubloons I could have earned from selling my coffee!!! Arghhh~!!!! >=\

Sorry for the jargon,.. but anyways,.. learnt some lessons on life.. The game ended as soon as we finally understood it.. just before the climax,.. I won. ..what an interesting way to end =.= (and I didn't even get a chance to use those large newly built Indigo factories *sobz..)

After the game ended, I asked them, "How come you didn't buy the large buildings?" (the Large buildings were like.. the best way to earn the most Victory Points).

But they replied that they wanted to build so many other things, that they didn't even bother finding out what these large buildings did.. They focused so much on developing their cities, buying more warehouses, factories, markets.. and they didn't think that the game would have ended that soon.. So all these time in the game, they were developing themselves and dreaming big, preparing for something so big that never came, because time was slipping away, and they were not aware of it.

Many times in life, we dream big and plan ahead.. a little too much for what we can do within this short period of time. I know this sounds weird coming from Anna, for Anna is one that is.. a dreamer.. I love to dream. I always believe that there is nothing too big for God to handle.

It's not that I don't believe God can do big things - He can. And I still believe with all my heart. What I am saying is.. we don't know how short life is. Life is short. And we should be more down to earth sometimes. It's okay to plan ahead and dream big, just don't merely plan. We have to see what we have right now and use it. If we think we really have all the time in the world, I'm sorry to burst your bubbles today, but we don't.

Think about it - how many years of our lives do we actually spent learning and developing ourselves for the rest of our lives? How many years do we spent on education alone? 5 years? no.. 10 years? no.. then? 20 years? no.. more than 20 years.

And then, we're still not done.. we have to be retrained so that we can be properly equipped for the workforce.. another few years before we are considered 'experienced' and 'seasoned' just to uphold a single position in any company. And that can be many more years, depending on the company. The bigger the company you work for, the more years of experience is required for one position. Some positions in some companies require up to 8-10 years experience in order to be eligible for that position. Some more..

What I am trying to say is.. we dream. And we want so many things in life. We want to build the largest food chain, yet we want to build a chain of hotels, and we also want to franchise a boutique clothes shop. Not forgetting the factories and interior designing companies. Oh, and most importantly.. the schools I want to build in both developed and under developed countries.. (I am mostly referring to myself, aren't I?)

Yes, I dream.. but look at my life and look at the time I have left - the clock is ticking. And I seriously thought I had a whole life ahead of me when I graduate, and yes, I still believe I do. But it is important to realize it now before it is too late, that the amount of time and the opportunities I have only come once. And time only crosses our paths once, and they never come back. Time lost, no one can get back. My mum used to give me advice on time so many times.. and I always thought I understood what she meant, but today when I play that game and realize how something we have been building up for so long may end so abruptly,.. I start to ponder, really.. about life.

We spent the first 30 years of our lives trying to be good enough to live out the next 25 years and finally realize that we don't have much time left.. 55 is the age of retirement, and if you want to console yourself that the age of retirement is 60, then you may very well do so, but don't deceive yourself - it's just another 5 years.. so you have 30 years to accomplish everything you have been preparing for the first 30 years of your life. And mind you, time passes by faster everyday, as we grow up. Haven't you heard of the phrase, "And already, another year is gone.."

This has been something I wondered about while I was in Ipoh too, as I heard this song on the radio..

I'm 15 for a moment caught in between 10 and 20 and I'm just dreamin',

countin' the ways to where you are.
I'm 22 for a moment and she feels better than ever and we're on fire, making our way back from Mars.

15, there's still time for you,

Time to buy and time to lose,

15, there's never a wish better than this,
When you only got a hundred years to live. . .

I'm 33 for a moment still the man but you see I'm a "they,"

A kid on the way babe, a family on my mind.
I'm 45 for a moment, the sea is high and I'm headin' into a crisis, chasin' the years of my life,

15, there's still time for you,

Time to buy and time to lose yourself within a morning star.
15, I'm alright with you,

15, there's never a wish better than this,
When you only got a hundred years to live. . .

Half time goes by suddenly you're wise,

Another blink of an eye 67 is gone, the sun is gettin' high,
We're movin' on. . .

I'm 99 for a moment, dyin' for just another moment and I'm just dreamin',
Counting the ways to where you are.

15, there's still time for you,

22, I feel her too,

33, you're on your way,
Every day's a new day...

15, there's still time for you,

Time to buy and time to choose,

Hey 15! There's never a wish better than this,
When you only got a hundred years to live. .

But keep it real, people.. we DON'T have a hundred years to live.. average life for both men and woman in Malaysia is 70.6 years.. For those of you in other countries, you can look your country up on this [table] . Quoted from the article attached, "Currently, the worldwide life expectancy for all people is 64.3 years but for males it's 62.7 years and for females life expectancy is 66 years, a difference of more than three years. The sex difference ranges from four to six years in North America and Europe to more than 13 years between men and women in Russia."

..so keep it real, keep it short, always count your days.. and look to God.

P/s: I should really spend more time with my parents..

* tRUST & OBey the LORD *