December 22, 2015. Thoughts of Gratitude. Something often taken for granted and seldom expressed. I will say it here then.
The enormity of what has transpired today has finally struck home. An important milestone, something that has changed my way of thinking for the last few years. It is the strangest kind of feeling. Elated. Relieved. And barely containing an unusual excitement for the future.
You know that feeling as a kid when you've been bad and punished by being cooped up at the farmhouse all week long doing chores and home-school studies while the rest of the kids are out there playing? You sit by the window and gaze outside at the clear blue sky and green meadows longingly while invisible shackles chain your feet to your duty.
And then, your Mom comes along with a knowing smile and says, "You've been good this whole week. Go on outside and play, but be back before sundown for supper. Now scoot before I change my mind."
Your limbs move like lightning before you come fully to your senses, the world is a whirl of moments as you grab your trusty pocket knife and slingshot in a blur, hug your Mom on your way out, and the next thing you know... you're standing at the porch just outside the front doorway. Your senses go into overdrive.
You can smell the freshly mown grass Dad just cut. You can hear your siblings and visiting cousins and friends playing catch just outside the yard, trusty old Bob the Dog wags his tail furiously as he looks at you expectantly. The sky is clear and blue with some puffy white clouds drifting lazily in the sunshine, casting languid shadows that crawl across the valley floor. Birds sing in the trees, and cows and sheep graze contentedly.
Yeah, I'm about ready to come out and play.
I want to thank everyone who has been supportive. Thanx to my parents and siblings who were there with hugs and words of encouragement when the days were long and dark. Thanx to all my friends who gave in to my frequent requests in taking their photographs and inviting me to their events to hone my skills. Thanx to my colleagues who allowed me to cover office events and pick up valuable experience and hard knocks, something an old hand like me appreciates better than dry technical manuals. Many thanks to my classmates who believed in me and shared knowledge and hardships, it made the long journey more bearable.
But special thanks must go to my peers who gave me the necessary knowledge and skills to master my craft.
I'd like to thank Mr Leong, Ms Chin, and Ms Yen for helping me get through the course.
To my friends and mentors Sean and James for their unending patience and willingness to overlook my shortcomings. You guys are the best. We need to go back to Mongolia, leave me there.
To my lecturers Mr Chai, Mr Foong, and Mr Chew thank you for your time and patience, your dedication is much appreciated.
To everyone who has liked, commented or criticised my pictures, I am grateful. It gave me the necessary passion that fueled my determination to come out best.
I'll take a bow and leave now. Merry Christmas everyone, thank you for reading.
"If your vocation be shoeing horses, or painting pictures, and you can do one or the other better than your fellows, then you are a fool if you are not proud of your ability." - Edgar Rice Burroughs
Picture taken by my old friend Shaz (edited by me), thank you for coming to attend my graduation ceremony.
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