Have you ever wandered aimlessly? Have you ever danced under the moonlight? Have you ever recited poems in front of the sea? Have you ever sung while you were waiting for a ride? Have you ever looked at the sky on a starry night and asked when you could touch one of those glittering stars?

Have you ever climbed a tree and thought of settling yourself up there and never going down? Have you ever felt so out of this world and thought that you were living on another planet? Have you ever?

What would others think about you if they saw you doing some of these things? Would they perceive you as a lunatic? Crazy? Or just different?  

Life is all about discernment, perception, and paradigm. What you perceive as true and real can be completely different and even unrecognisable to others. It depends on how you see and interpret the situation, or, to put it bluntly, it depends on how you react to a problem based on your life experiences. A scenario could be coloured by your brushes with life and your many journeys in the troubled world.   

I was waiting for the 61M bus in Tuen Mun. I was already late for an appointment. I was occupied with my thoughts and standing in a queue when a man tapped my elbow and started talking to me. 

“Here we go again,” I told myself, “another person speaking to me in a language I barely understand. How should I make this person go away quickly? Shall I turn myself into the Incredible Hulk?” 

I’ve encountered this situation many times before, I thought to myself. Whenever I’ve tried to offer help, asking, “Would you kindly speak in English?” with a smile, the person has inevitably turned their back (even though I brushed my teeth and gargled with Listerine), as if there was never any conversation that just transpired. 

“That kind of exchange could happen again,” I mused, “so I’d better be blunt this time.” 

After quickly exchanging looks, I already knew what I needed to do. My objective was to get this person away from me as soon as possible so I could return to my thoughts.

“Can you speak English?”  I asked loudly, intentionally showing the man that I was annoyed and making it very apparent that I wasn’t looking forward to a conversation with him. I expected him to go away immediately, but he didn’t. I wondered why.

Life is all about discernment, perception, and paradigm. What you perceive as true and real can be completely different and even unrecognisable to others

Ron R. Lacson

Instead, he delivered the kindest words I’ve ever heard from a stranger in the early morning – in English! “Oh, I’m sorry. I wonder if you could let me flick away that caterpillar on your shoulder. If it crawls to the nape of your neck, it could give you a skin rash.” 

Suddenly, a ton of adrenaline rushed from my head to my knees, and my mind filled with mild panic: “What!? A CATERPILLAR!? (HIGAD!!!). On my neck!!?  It was still on my shoulder, but I swear my thoughts were all about my neck at that moment.

Although I was screaming inside, I remained very calm outside. I was processing the situation. While doing that, I noticed several ladies had stepped away from me. They were behind me in the queue, but were afraid of the caterpillar, so they quickly shifted 4 to 5 feet back.

They knew what would happen if a caterpillar landed on a human’s skin. I also knew it all too well, having experienced a caterpillar falling on my nape while standing behind a tree years ago. It was an agonising feeling, with rashes and itches everywhere. My reddish nape and neck made me look like I had just had a poor waxing job. It was awful.

Realising I would again go through that same dreadful experience if I responded incorrectly to the man who just spoke to me with a smile and an obvious intention to help, I replied with an embarrassed and sheepish smile, “Yeah… sure. Thanks”.

As I turned to give the man my shoulder, so he could perform what needed to be done, I saw the shadowy figure of the caterpillar on my black jacket from the corner of my right eye. It was almost on my neck. 

In a split second, the man leaned forward and flicked the caterpillar with his forefinger. I followed its trajectory as it flew through the air and crash-landed in the soil, where its fate will be unknown to me forever. But I was now safe from potential rashes and red skin. There was freedom again from stress and anxiety.

At that moment, I ascertained that the man whom I almost yelled at, the man who just witnessed my annoyed look, the man who I almost belittled because I thought he couldn’t speak English, was now the man who had just bestowed upon me the most extraordinary kindness, on the most unorthodox of subjects. He just saved me from the angst of the caterpillar effect.

So, I said – “Thank you very much”. He responded by waving his hands, as if to say, “It’s nothing. You’re welcome. No problem.”

But there were no words spoken. There was no need. He turned away and went back to his post in the queue, though I didn’t mind anymore; he had already done something that spoke volumes.

I learned a lesson – I learned not to judge and colour a conversation by my past experiences. I also learned that being kind and friendly to people must always take priority over being late for an appointment. 

Have you ever judged people? Have you ever jumped to conclusions too quickly? Have you ever realised that most of the time, you see things differently from others? Have you ever? LIFE is as you see it.