Actor Jackie Chan was asked by this reporter. Was he happy with his life? His retort was thus:

‘You know I once heard some very wise words:

…Your restless child is the dream of every childless person

Your small home is the dream of every homeless person

…Your ill health is the dream of every patient with an incurable disease

Your peace, your sound sleep, your accessible food are the dream of every person ina country at war

You must cherish everything you have. After all, no one knows what tomorrow will bring.’

TY, FB

Thank you, Facebook, for giving me this saying. A random post that showed up on my news feed.

As humans, we are natural challengers. We yearn to be the best, fastest, and smartest. Having one house is insufficient. Once we get three, why stop at that? Why not gobble up the entire neighbourhood? It’s like the fable of the dog with a bone. The canine sees himself reflected in the water. Since he’s greedy, he goes for the second bone and ends up with nothing.

These words make Mr Chan look like a philosopher. Highlights the best and worst attributes of his fellow men. We always compare ourselves with others. We are looking ahead and never behind. We fail to see our success while millions of people are stateless, homeless, or childless. We worry about the day’s outfit when others do not have basic necessities.

Cruise Nation

Some travellers are on the lookout for their next vacay. Posting about their jet setting lives would make them more validated. Funnily enough, these are things that others care about. Superficial toys like islands, beaches, streaming shows, and cruises. Spare a thought for Malala.

Different things motivate people. A farmer would eat a heavy breakfast and plough the fields. A war refugee will evade danger with his family. An influencer would post her latest finds on social media. A soldier would fight for his homeland, and so on. What does tomorrow’s sunup mean to you?

Temporal

Status is relative. Power, impermanent. We must be prudent, grateful and considerate. The nature of life on earth is temporal. Today you might have a mansion, tomorrow you may have nothing to munch on. Women are worried about their zit. How about those without arms or legs? Would we consider them fit?

We’ve got all these trends like carnivore, low carb, and vegan diets. Do you think war refugees worry about what they eat? When these creators sup on their steaks, do they ever remember their brothers in the sticks?

The Game

We try our darn best to outrun Father Time. We cheat ageing. We tackle health problems by nipping them in the bud. Count our sugar intake while others feast on Mega Macs.

‘Life is a game boy. Life is a game that one plays according to the rules.’

This is another quote from Catcher in the Rye. Seems like one you’ll hear from a primary school. Hence, it doesn’t merit its own post. Look deeper though and it is rather similar to Chan’s sentiments. Life has parameters and we must follow them to coexist. To play the game, we must take others into consideration. To be fair and reasonable. According to Chan, some give little thought to others and their plight.

You know who you are

More importantly, which rules are we following? Our parents’? Michael Jordan’s? Our politicians? That’s the beauty of this simple quote: it’s a bit open ended. To paraphrase a quote, birds of different feathers do not flock together. I’m sure there will be different rules for a Hawks’ high flier and a KFC deep fryer. The laws of the game are dissimilar in Ukraine and Bahrain. As is our nature, earthlings have continued to push the boundaries and uncover new frontiers. We grow as villages, if not as families.

Chan’s answer highlights our folly. We are concerned with immaterial things and the secular world. We aim to build a kingdom when we can make do with what we have. His reply reveals how being satisfied is complex. It’s not black and white. The human condition is fragmented. In our haste, will we end up as the dog with a bone? Or will we rise above our flaws and be more humane?