The Field Marshal

Old Friends, Like Old Wine - Are the Best I have been so tied up with the drudgery and routiness of life in the last 3 to 4 years that I have lost contact with some of my good friends. Gone are the days when we would swap latest entertainment gossip and lifestyle issues via the phone. Yeah, I actually bitched about stuff with my friends. Those were the days when handphones were a rarity. With SMS, I would have thought that contacting my friends would be a breeze. However, the spirit is willing, but the body, always weak. With time, some of my friends dropped out of my vision. In their place were countless hours of gaming, TV programmes and housework. Life past me by like a blur. However, life was not all meaningless as I found an anchor in Mydaemon admist life's countless distractions. Now, as I prepare for my wedding, my friends are once again back in my vision. Back because I would like to share one of my life's milestone with them. Their absence would take away so much from the church service and wedding luncheon. For the first time in many years, I looked up my friends email addresses in my PDA and shared with them the good news of my upcoming wedding. I wasn't sure what replies I would get. In my mind were these questions: Would they reply my emails? Would they remember me? Here's how it went with 2 of my good friends - Chincilla and Rafflesia. I think the nicks should be clear to these 2 friends if they should drop by here. Well, Chincilla was my first friend in NUS. She's one of the nicest girl around. Although she has a 'you gonna die now' look quite frequently, I can vouch that she's really a nice and good natured person. Was just exchanging emails with her earlier. During our exchanges, she told me that we last met at her wedding dinner in 2002. I was like, are you sure? I was quite sure that we met up sometime in 2003. But then again, my memory ain't as good as before. As we chatted via email, I just come to know that she's going to be a mummy. Well, another one of my friends are joining the motherhood gang in the neighbourhood. The first was Sweet Lullaby. Apart from this good news, she also informed me that she has already finished her masters. Man, the last time we spoke, she just left her job for her studies. Anway, Chincilla, I would like to congratulate you again on being a mother in the near future. I also look forward to keeping our friendship alive and well. Coming to Rafflesia. She's this nice girl whom I met in university when, in a moment of madness, I joined an ECA. Yup, I was crazy enough to sign up for an ECA. Anyway, Rafflesia is one person whom I have kept in contact on and off for the last 6 years since her graduation in 1998. Being a fun-loving person that she is, she's the life of any conversation. She's also one of the rare few who dares to speak her mind. Wish more people could be like her. Anyway, I am happy to see that she has gotten herself a great job. Now what she needs is a better half. For your sake, I hope you find Mr Right soon. One thing that I noticed while writing to Chincilla and Rafflesia was the continuity of our friendship despite the silence over months or years. Picking up from where we left off is something which touched me deeply. Sad to say, I have not been able to find friends in the workplace despite seeing my colleagues everyday. Maybe it's me, but I have not really made a friend, perhaps with the exception of Luna Esa, Summerbreeze and Shitake, since I started working. Friends are really like wine. They get better with age. It is a gift from God that I can take a sip from the bottles of friendship once a while. Sips which brings back memories of laughter, joy, and happiness. Here's a toast to everlasting friendships around the world.