Fred On Fourth of July [July 4]
This Fourth of July comes with a touch of heaviness. The man whose hand held up the highest flag is now lying low, strained and stressed. Fred is recuperating slowly. Things are far from well now. This year his friends have planned to come over to his place. Fred wanted them to go out and celebrate as they had been doing all these years. But they were insistent that they had already planned to be with him. "More than where we are, it's important that we are together," they assured him. Fred was touched by their gesture, but even a man of his optimism couldn't help but turn the coin over and look at the flip side of it.
"You know what Bob," he told me over coffee at his place, "I think they feel that I might not be around next year!" I immediately replied that it was definitely not so. "I know that, but there's this part in me that keeps telling me," he sounded disappointed that he couldn't go out this Fourth of July. I assured him that it was just in his mind. I reminded him that his friends have been with him through the layers of life, and it's only normal that they would like to continue in the same vein when he's faced with tough challenges. Fred seemed reassured, but the problem with self-made men is that they never get convinced easily. I hope he sees the nice gesture of his friends and forgets about his apprehensions. Here's to your spirit, Fred, happy Fourth of July!
PS. fred is friend of mine and NOT TO BE MISTAKEN FOR bo liao chee.
This Fourth of July comes with a touch of heaviness. The man whose hand held up the highest flag is now lying low, strained and stressed. Fred is recuperating slowly. Things are far from well now. This year his friends have planned to come over to his place. Fred wanted them to go out and celebrate as they had been doing all these years. But they were insistent that they had already planned to be with him. "More than where we are, it's important that we are together," they assured him. Fred was touched by their gesture, but even a man of his optimism couldn't help but turn the coin over and look at the flip side of it.
"You know what Bob," he told me over coffee at his place, "I think they feel that I might not be around next year!" I immediately replied that it was definitely not so. "I know that, but there's this part in me that keeps telling me," he sounded disappointed that he couldn't go out this Fourth of July. I assured him that it was just in his mind. I reminded him that his friends have been with him through the layers of life, and it's only normal that they would like to continue in the same vein when he's faced with tough challenges. Fred seemed reassured, but the problem with self-made men is that they never get convinced easily. I hope he sees the nice gesture of his friends and forgets about his apprehensions. Here's to your spirit, Fred, happy Fourth of July!
PS. fred is friend of mine and NOT TO BE MISTAKEN FOR bo liao chee.