He’s only a trishaw rider… but with a heart bigger than us
Written by ED on November 3, 2007 – 11:54 am - Posted in Current Affairs, Singapore, Society, World |Slamming the three British tourists I did, but now I think it’s time to look at what we can learn from the incident. Mr Lee Shee Lam is merely a trishaw rider, probably insignificant to most of us. What made him shine was his beautiful attitude, emerging from this ugly incident.
In a way, I am happy that the ugly deeds of Bo Davis and his friends eventually ended up in Britain’s tabloid, Daily Mail. It was heartening to see fellow British and other nationalities who felt ashamed of their actions. A few even apologized on behalf of them. (Read the comments) If I am significant enough, I wished I could tell them that nobody should be made to apologize on behalf of the three idiots. If you were to ask me, I would prefer them to fly back to Singapore and apologize to Mr Lee directly.
Amid this incident, I don’t know if anyone noticed that Mr Lee forgave them almost immediately? While the anger is still raging in some of us, the grace in him is something that everyone should learn. Since Youtube is viewed by all, how many of us can readily forgive people after being humiliated internationally? I cannot even guarantee that I can, but Mr Lee did it so naturally.
While Bo Davis and his friends should feel ashamed of their own actions, some of us should also feel ashamed that Mr Lee’s big heart - is something that is missing in our society. Who would have known, the most admirable grace came from a person who we usually wouldn’t take a second look ourselves? People like Mr Lee, seemed to have been forgotten by our society in our daily paces. Yet when something really ugly like this happened in this first class society, all it took was a trishaw rider to paint it pink.
It’s not a lesson only to be learnt by Bo Davis and his friends, but also Singaporeans. He’s old, he’s weak, but he’s definitely a beautiful person as who he is.
If I have a wish now, it ought to be something like; I wish Bo Davis is sincere about his apologies and his self-reflections. There is no point in apologizing on paper, but to carry on living his life with the same attitude. That would have put Mr Lee’s grace and forgiveness to waste.
Let’s not only penalise, but also learn.
A big heart is all it takes, how many of us can achieve that? Not even me most of the times… what can I say?
November 3rd, 2007 at 12:13 pm
Agreed… the man has a big heart and we shd all learn from it.
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November 3rd, 2007 at 12:51 pm
What was that in yesterday’s new paper about him wanting them to pay up and apologize? I didn’t read it, but knowing the new paper, it’s probably mis-quoting him
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November 3rd, 2007 at 4:25 pm
Dinu: I wouldn’t want to put any trust in New Paper, especially a few of us boycott it totally. I had personal experience with New Paper, until a social forum was pressured to shut down after New Paper projected it as anti-government.
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November 3rd, 2007 at 4:41 pm
It is indeed a lesson for us all. How many of us practise what we preach, eh? Yet this man has shown us all the meaning of forgiveness and grace.
He’s a better man than me, and I thank God for humbling me through this old man.
Shabbat Shalom.
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November 3rd, 2007 at 4:56 pm
Yup. I don’t trust the new paper either. A friend of mine had a nasty personal experience as well. But the headline yesterday was saying that the Uncle wants an apology and wants them to pay up.
It’s amazing how the internet brought attention to the whole thing, starting with blogs then going as far was the DailyMail.
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November 4th, 2007 at 10:32 am
Sicarii: It’s indeed very humbling when we sit back and look at the whole issue. It’s even more humbling when I see fellow Christians around me unable to do what they have learnt from the gospel… yet all it took was an unknown person to proof forgiveness and grace is indeed necessary.
Dinu: Internet is always like a gun. It’s only a matter of how we use it.
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