Thursday, October 07, 2004
1:56 AM
I always find it an honour to be asked to write an entry for someone else's blog. Really. I can't exactly pinpoint the reason, but it goes along the lines of a blog being the equivalent of someone's diary, someone's personal space. Albeit it being online and accessible to the vast audience on the internet, it somehow qualifies as privacy to the owner. And we do not encroach on a person's privacy, that would be rude.
An entry is more that just a collection of mindless ramblings, incessant whinings and verbal doodling. Well, at least, to me it is. It is a freeflow form of artistic, linguistic expression. Essentially, it is who you are determined by what you write, unfettered and unlimited by an restrictions, about whatever you wish to. Moods, events, opinions, feelings, thoughts, complaints, all these are duly archived in a blog when you take some time out to reflect upon your life, and the fact that there is an unseen audience out there, although this probably indicates guarded reservations about what you choose to reveal, it still is a wonderful outlet for any emotions that one might experience. So, basically, a blog is part of you. And when you allow others to share in with that part of you, it bears testimony to the fact that they are as much a part of your life as anything else, and you recognize that reality.
Enough of all that preaching; all I was trying to say is that I'm honoured to be asked to write an entry for Huijun. Hmm, what can I say about her? Its funny how we got acquainted with each other. We met on mIRC, and found out that she is a friend of my classmate. The Internet is kinda amazing in how the shield of anonymity allows cyber-friendships to develop way quicker than normal ones. Anyhow, we started chatting regularly, and got to know each other better through the process. That was in Sec 3, if I recall.
Someone once told me that it is much easier to confide in someone over the Net than to someone you know in real life. I find that ironic, yet I understand how it is like. Its the screen in between two people, that allows problems and insecurities to be confessed without much fear of ridicule, rejection, discrimination or embarassment. The irony lies in that while friends made over the Net can never match up to your friends in real life, somehow, those Net friends seem to know more about your problems than most, considering how they probably never seen you ever, or perhaps even heard your voice, or have come in physical contact with you to know more about you.
So we found in each other a reliable and receptive listener, sharing woes and worries, joys and delights, over ICQ, for the great part of our secondary school days. She was always there for me whenever I needed to whine, and mind you, I was an excellent whiner. Surprisingly, she could tolerate that, so, yeah, it isn't easy to find someone who could bear with endless whinings. Somehow, when asked to describe her, I'm at a loss for words. I guess that's how it is with Net friends. Or maybe its because we spoke less to each other after our secondary school days, because perhaps we were too caught up with our lives, but the occasional greeting will always be exchanged.
We did meet up once though, just to find out how each other looked like? Maybe? But anyhow, I guess "friends forever" kinda applies, I mean, how long have we known each other? 6 years? 6 years may not be a long time when you are 40-something, but at 21, a friend whom you are keeping in contact with, however minimal, for 6 years, is a friend to be cherished.
That is why I was delighted when asked to write this entry. It was fun on my part, yet it also made me feel special, in a way. Hmmm, reading back, I don't think I've described her enough. More on the listening part. Someone once told me that to be a good listener often means to be empathetic. More often than not, we all usually want a listening ear rather than words of advice. She is someone like that. She passes it off as being someone who gives ill advice, but sometimes ill advice is advice given when none is required, I think. She merely listens and tries to understand, and to give sympathy, or consolation, where required. That's why I find that bring my troubles to her sometimes can be so refreshing.
Recently she's been in a rough patch, so I kinda read about it. Well, it was pretty, blatantly obvious. Here's to hope that she'll recover and cheer up again. Somehow, I can't bear knowing that someone around me is feeling down without doing a single damn thing about it. I'm nosey like that. Sorry if you felt like I was trying to interfere. But like I said, friends are to be cherished, and care and concern for a cherished friend is never too much.
Take care, and study hard. Hope your path in life smoothens out alil in the near future. Haha, but life's full of detours and sharp bends; they are what defines life itself. But I do think that you are deserving of a nice straight expressway for now. And thanks for letting me share your blog with ya!
you make my life perfect-`