First Volunteer Work

- Fate is decided by God but destiny is the path you choose to get there -

This morning I did my first ever maiden volunteer work at Tampines Home for the Intellectually Disabled...Was mixing a bit of fear with enthusiasm...Though I feel pretty sad for them, most of them are actually much kinder and humble as compared to many sane people around...Though a few incidents did happen that kinda made me realised how luckly we are. One female patient strip down to nothing, another yanked at everyones' long hair (except me), some pee straight through their clothes while most just stared...I was luckily...A middle aged male patient held my hand and took me for a mini tour around the home...

Though he was constantly staring at the busy road outside the home, his eyes could sort of tell me that he definitely miss the life outside...As one of my Japanese sensei had previously visited the the home, he told me that this chap likes massage...hehe and so I gave him a full 45 min massage FOR FREE...hehe no complains! He look pretty normal except that his legs were a bit defective but nonetheless, he's pretty nice...like my "Boss"! Hehe but seriously as compared to the rest, he doesn't have the slightest look of a disabled...

While giving my "Boss" a massage, my eyes begin to wonder...and to my surprise, there was one Japanese student, a pretty nice looking guy who grew up in Brasil was so attached to a female patient...even a hug and nose rub...I really admired his courage as he definitely didn't show the slightest detest or discrimation...I really wonder, maybe the little fear inside me made me discrimate...not really discrimate but somehow like I chose to stay with those that are more "decent" and harmless looking ones and I tend to avoid female patients as I'll definitely get pretty embarass at times when 'weird' things happen...As for the rest of the Japanese students, they too showed overwhelming warm...My sensei Okada-san was also really really warm showing no signs of detest and discrimation...even when the patient yanked at ther hair, she wasn't even pissed! A bright smile just appeared when the pull the patient off. She was so dedicated in talking to the patient and there was absolutely no personal barrier. Her closeness and dedication to the patient even made me worry for her! The warm that she and a few others exhibited really made me detest myself a little as to why I can't show that much warm like they did...? Maybe it was my first time and a little fear was naturally embodied in me...although I was really trying very hard to accept them as normal people, somehow my little fear got the better of me and so in the end, I still couldn't wipe off the slightest bit of discrimination...

Last words...the volunteer work was organised by my Japanese religion and also the Japanese exchange students arrived on the 28th of this month and every year, they have to do volunteer work like this as well...Really nice experience I must confess and sometimes even the Prince of Darkness have a little humane side as a little warm candle still glows from within, in his frozen heart...