What is the world coming to?

Now, for the past few mornings, in fact I should say few weeks, i've been observing something that annoys me very much. on most mornings, on my way to school, I'll pass a primary school girl on her way to school, in the opposite direction that I usually head. I shall not name the school, though it's pretty obvious if you know what primary school happens to be in my vicinity.

So, everyday, I'll see her whizzing by on her skate skooter. Dear readers, I'm sure you all know what that stupid thing is... if you don't, it is something like the thing the Po teletubby likes to ride on. The thing is, she does look extremely adorable in it. The problem is, her maid with pink school bag in tow has to run after that zooming behemoth every morning. Times like this, I wonder who is to blame. Her parents? The media? Or simply the girl herself? Maybe it is the maid. However I find myself doubting the last theory of mine.

I think that the sense of dignity of a person no matter the job... no wait, the job IS important. Pride and self-esteem is all the more important in the jobs most people consider lowly. So what. Just because someone is a maid does not mean that as the employer you can let your child treat the person who cooks and cleans after her to chase after a mere girl. It is hardly graceful behaviour and reflects the general opinion I have of Singaporeans - uncouth and self-centered. So let me hit myself. Hey. I'm a Singaporean too.

It puzzles me very much that we should have so little faith in our fellow countrymen. Somehow I don't think that that is normal in any country outside of here. Ah... But that is the faithless me talking again isn't it?

So let us just focus on the girl's family instead. No need to drag in the whole of our sunny tropical island. Sometimes I wonder what parents are teaching children nowadays. It is really upsetting to think that the girl with such an innocent look on her face would be behaving so rudely to her elder. I watched for other people's reaction to the interesting duo. When a well-dressed wman stared at the scene unfolding begore her eyes, the maid stopped running. But I know she has been running for the past few days. At least she seems to be preserving some sense of dignity.

Why should she run? Just because you are a maid doesn't mean you should subject yourself to the every whim and fancy of others. One should respect oneself. And one should respect others. I hope for the day when the maid will be skate skootering beside the girl. Really I do.