Wednesday, August 29, 2007

Possibilities come when we Pause


It is a *truism that many Singaporeans are discovering for themselves (which is a great thing). The rut that we find ourselves getting into; or which have got into for so long as we do the same things day in and day out is so glaring that we just plod along EVEN knowing that we are in a rut.


"Just stop and smell the flowers" is a cliche which is waxed but never followed simply because we think that people will get ahead of us when we "let go." Well, Velcro was literally born when one lovely summer day in 1948, a Swiss amateur-mountaineer named George de Mestral took a walk with his faithful dog and then post-walk, discovering the little burrs which got stuck to his pants. The rest, as they say, is history. (Visit this url for the details http://inventors.about.com/library/weekly/aa091297.htm)


For those who have discovered the malaise and sought treatment, a sense of inner calm and serenity would have pervaded the person's inner man (spirit and soul) and most probably that enlightened person would then have taken the 'road less travelled.'


I met one such person two weeks ago and his courage and spirit is so inspiring that i went to visit him in Toa Payoh, the location of his current venture - Pauseability. Moses is definitely one character who does not travel the broad path. Just visit Moses and spend some time doing something artistic which you have wanted to do for so long in his shop and talk to him - then you will find out. Visit this url http://www.pauseability.com.sg/ or better still, take a trip down his avant garde shop at Toa Payoh Lorong 1.
(2012 update: It is no longer there but we appreciate the guts).

My soul was literally bursting with inspiration, so much so that if not for the fact that i have two young boys to tend to, i would have done something similar. My wife passed a complimentary $5 voucher for use in his shop and i read about his 'handwritten' brochure. In five minutes i was driving to Toa Payoh.


I entered into the realm of CARPE DIEM - a soul so filled with the need to seize the day that he is willing to rent an entire shopfront of a princely space to engage; to cajole, nudge, enthuse the rest of the human race in our little dot on this planet to PAUSE.


Someone was painting Van Gogh's Sunflower when i entered the shop.

"It's worth the $9, " said Joe calmly. All his days' work is over. His time for some Re-creation.


Moses' shop has just opened for about four months. I salute him for veering off the well-taken route. And it's not that he is a hippie. Nor that he has toomuch money or has no plans about his future.


I wish him all the very best in trying out something different. I will be seeing hime more often (even though i have plenty of art materials at home and quite a creative soul myself). There will definitely be possibilities.


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*A truism is a claim that is so obvious or self-evident as to be hardly worth mentioning, except as a reminder or as a rhetorical or literary device.

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