Kindness begets kindness

When I was young, I lived in a small village in Melaka. Mine was a terrace
house in a row of shophouses. The spirit of neighbourliness was very strong
then. There was no such thing as locking the doors of our houses by day or
night.
The village had a variety of trades to serve the needs of the villagers. There
was a barber, tailor, coffee shop owner, grocer, baker, electrician, plumber and
so on. All of us were quite poor by today's standards but we got by. However,
one family which could be considered as living a marginal existence was the
Lim family living in the bicycle shop opposite our dwelling.
Mr Lim, the bicycle mechanic, had a large brood of children - twelve to
be exact. The joke amongst the neighbours was that he was aiming to form a football team
among his children. However, seriously speaking, it was no joke
for him trying to feed his growing children daily.
My mother was a kind-hearted soul. Often, she would remark that his
children were dressed in ragged clothes and looked malnourished. My family
was relatively better off in the village and my father was the headman. My
mother would bring over whatever food we could spare to our neighbours. On
occasions when there was leftover food from village weddings or festivals, my
father would direct me to bring these to Mr Lim. I did not mind visiting the
Lim's bicycle shop as I had an interest in bicycles.
I remember one particular year when times were very hard. The economy
was doing very badly. Even my family had to make do with two meals a day.
Lunch was dispensed with. We stopped the practice of giving food to Mr
Lim. One day, I noticed my mother looking troubled. She had learned that
the Lim family had not been eating for the past two days. There and then, she
decided to sacrifice a portion of our meals to the family. Despite the protests
from my brothers and sisters that we too were hungry, she kept on doing the
kind act of giving them a portion of our food from then on. Fortunately, the
lean spell did not last long, and the children in our family resumed our three
meals a day again.
I shared a room with my brothers overlooking the bicycle shop. I was
interested in the repair of bicycles and would often stare out of the window
to see Mr Lim hard at work. As time went on, I noticed Mr Lim looking more
cheerful. The number of customers at his shop had increased steadily. Soon, he
was selling many shiny new bicycles.
The eldest son of Mr Lim was the head prefect of our primary school. He
often helped his father in his work. This boy, Tian Beng, was very good with his
hands. He proved very popular with his customers. It was he who expanded
his father's business after he dropped out of school when his father needed his
help in their growing bicycle business. Tian Beng started a motorcycle repairing
service to add on to his father's trade. Business at his shop took off like a rocket

as Japanese bikes were the rage then as they were very useful and popular for
transport.
It was at this time that my father's business took a turn for the worse. My
father was a provision shop owner and he trusted many people readily. One day,
his senior assistant ran off with a substantial amount of the shop's earnings.
During that time, my father's health was also deteriorating. We were at our wits'
end, perplexed by the mysterious illness he was suffering from. My father then
sold our family car to pay off the mounting bills.
They say that one good deed deserves another. Mr Lim, our neighbour,
came to learn of our plight. In spite of my father's protests, he stepped in to
help. He stated simply that it was his turn to repay the kindness that my father
had shown to him in the past.
Through his connections, Mr Lim arranged for my father to consult a
famous Chinese physician in Chinatown. Not only was this doctor's diagnosis
of my father's medical condition accurate, he was able to cure my father. My
father's health steadily improved. However, because of my father's lack of
attention to his provision shop, business floundered.

Again Mr Lim became our good Samaritan. He arranged for a loan for
my father's business. When he also learned that my brother and I had stopped
schooling because we could not afford the fees, he would have none of this.
He told us that we should not give up our education as we were among the top
pupils in the school. He then arranged to finance our education as long as we
needed it.
Suffice it to say that my father's business recovered the next year. My father
is now the proud owner of the village mini-market. Mr Lim has expanded his
business too. He now has a car showroom in town. Whenever my parents
meet up with Mr Lim, they would thank him for his past help. He would just
shrug off their thanks and say simply that he was merely repaying a kindness.

dwelling

home

dispensed

omitted

floundered

blundere

Imprudence
John and Jack were identical twins. When they were born, they were so like each other that
even their mother could not tell them apart.
When they grew up, they were therefore the butt of everyone's jokes. People wondered
whether they thought alike, or went to the bathroom at the same time. The brothers were
sometimes perturbed and irritated by these jokes but overall, they took it in their stride.
Beyond the physical side, however, the resemblance ended. As they grew older, both began to
differ more in character. Jack was always the extrovert one. He liked sports and was known
as a ladies' man.
On one fine day, Jack approached John for a favor. He had been in a relationship with a pretty
college belle, Jessica, for some time. However, now, he wanted out of the relationship but
despite the ample hints, Jessica did not seem to understand what he had been driving at. Jack
asked John to stand in for him whenever Jessica wanted to go out with him. Jack and John
were studying in different private colleges, so Jessica was not aware of a twin brother.
The first meeting between John and Jessica was a success. Jessica was pleasantly surprised
with John's attentiveness. She felt that Jack behaved like a gentleman on that date. Of course,
she was puzzled at some point; he had coffee instead of tea and he was not swearing like he
usually did. John found Jessica interesting. He was attracted to her beauty, intelligence and
honesty.
Meanwhile, Jack was getting enamored with another popular college girl, Merry. Merry,
however, hinted to Jack that she would welcome his attention only if he gave up his
relationship with Jessica. Although John was the one going on dates with Jessica, Jack still
had to hang out with Jessica on campus.
Jack asked John to end his relationship with Jessica. However, a shocked Jessica could not
believe that Jack wanted to end the relationship. She also refused to believe that it was John
who had been going out with her.
Jack now knew that things were going too far now. He scheduled a meeting with his twin
brother to try to reason with Jessica. Jessica brought along her brother, Thomas. At the
meeting, Jack apologized for misleading Jessica. Jessica, however, refused to believe that
John had been posing as Jack, even though the twin brothers stood before her. She had fallen
in love with Jack and she believed that he was the one who was courting her all the while.
Even though John gave her certain details of their dates which would conclusively prove that
he was with her, she refused to listen and practically shut her ears.
"I have been dating Jack and it is Jack I want to marry. If he is trying to get out now because
he wants to go out with Merry, I will pursue him to his death," she asserted angrily.
Thomas then dropped the bombshell to the shocked twins. Jessica was pregnant. She believed
she was carrying Jack's child as he had been intimate with her. If Jack persisted in denying

his responsibility, the matter would be handled by their parents and the school authorities.
Jack pleaded and argued with Jessica and Thomas but to no avail. Jessica insisted that Jack
bore the responsibility for her pregnancy. She wanted to be married as soon as possible.
Desperate, Jack turned to his brother, John, for help. John tried to persuade Jessica to change
her mind. He argued that even if they were to be married to each other, Jack was no longer in
love with her. It would be meaningless. John also reminded Jessica how they got along so
well together. Jessica, however, refused to listen. It was Jack all along, she insisted
vehemently, who had been dating her.
By now, Thomas was feeling rather annoyed. He argued that Jack had to bear the
responsibility as the baby was his - Jack was the one she had been intimate with. Moreover,
everyone had thought that Jessica and Jack were a couple. He also stated that his parents were
old and could not take the blow if Jack did not marry her. As for Jack getting John to pose as
him, he was uncertain about the truth. All he was certain was that Jack must face up to the
fact that he was responsible for. When Jack protested again, Thomas silenced him with these
angry words, "A man must be responsible for his actions. You do not have a choice."
The impact of these words sank into Jack. He was stricken with guilt. A week later, he finally
apologized and asked for Jessica's forgiveness. Then he held his future wife's hands as they
went to their respective parents to explain the situation to them. He was determined to make
things right, for Jessica, for their child.

perturbed

bothered

enamored

smitten

stricken

suffering

Slip
Mr Tai, the teacher in charge of athletics at SUKK Temarah, was getting on in years. He had
just celebrated his 58th birthday -- an age which many would think seriously of retiring.
However, it was not so with Mr Tai. He had anillustrious record of athletic achievements in
the school sports scene. Some of the students he had coached had become national runners or
even coaches themselves. The School Board concurred with his sentiments of not retiring as
they did not want to lose the services of someone who had successfully led the school
athletics team to reach the finals of the National Athletics Competition.

In the year before, however, the school team did not garner as many medals in the National
Athletics Championship as expected. To make up for this disappointment, Mr Tai was
determined to have his runners bring as much glory as they could in this year's National
Athletics Championship. His hopes were fired with enthusiasm this year by two promising
star athletics, Farid and Hassan, who happened to be twins.
In the Annual School Sports, Farid broke the school's twenty-year record for the 100 meters
event. His brother, Hassan, was just a fraction of a second behind. Since Hassan had a
recurring ankle injury, Mr Tai decided to submit only Farid's name to the finals of the
National Athletics Championship. On the day he submitted the results of the best runner in
the school, he mistakenly wrote Hassan' name instead.
When Mr Tai received the list of the finalists in the 100-metre event in the National Athletics
Championships, he realized his mistake. However, it was too late to inform the sports
secretariat. Pride also did not allow him to admit his mistake to Farid. He decided to inform
his brother, Hassan, and start grooming him in the final preparations for
this prestigious event.
When Farid learnt that he was not a finalist, he could not believe his ears. Even though he
was glad that his brother had qualified, he was bitterly disappointed. To make matters worse,
Mr Tai did not give him any reasons for his exclusion in the finals. It was a bitter pill to
swallow for Farid as he realized that his hopes for athletic glory were dashed.
His moroseness was further compounded when he heard that his fellow athletes had believed
a rumor that he had been dropped from the list because of discipline problems. Depressed, he
lost interest in his athletic practices and withdrew from his friends. His studies also suffered
as his listlessness affected his academic performance.
One day, his best friend, Wen Yi, pulled him aside to have a talk. Hassan poured out his
grievances and sadness to Wen Yi who then encouraged him to arrange a meeting with Mr
Tai. However, Mr Tai tried to avoid meeting Hassan. The teacher did not want to admit his
mistake. When Hassan finally managed to confront Mr Tai, the latter consoled Hassan
superficially and tried to make him accept that his brother was the better choice.
Farid did not do well in the National Finals. His old ankle injury cropped up at the last minute
and he came in last. The school's athletics performance was at its worst that year. Mr Tai was
not appointed the athletics coach the following year.
As for Farid, he withdrew from pursuing a promising athletics career. He did well enough to
qualify for college and joined the Cadets. However prestigious his heart remained with
running and throughout his life, he was embittered for he knew that Mr Tai had made a
mistake and did not stand up to him.

illustrious

recognized

prestigious

important

moroseness

sullenness

Food preservation
Men have preserved their foods from ancient times in order to keep the results of harvesting
for winter months, for resale, for storage, and for transporting from sea to inland, overseas, or
cross-country. To do so, they generally used nature's methods, which are drying, parching and
fermenting. Parching is the most natural method, but for many thousands of years, others
have also been used. Direct fermentation of liquids, usually by the introduction of yeast, has
not only preserved liquids but also enhanced their quality, the same of course applying to
salting. Smoking has preserved, and sometimes improved both fish and meat. Hickory wood
is generally used for the fires, and natural juices are contained by a slight coating of wood
creosote.
It was not until recently that the causes of rottenness were understood, these being the
reactions of bacteria, moulds, yeasts and micro-organisms. Some fermentation and moulds
are, of course, necessary in the production of food and drink; moulds, for example, being
used in cheese-making. But the real 'breakthrough' in preservation against the causes of
rottenness came, when it was learnt how to deal with the micro-organisms present in all
foods and drinks, and which react chemically over a period to produce unpalatable or
poisonous food or drink. There are three basic methods.
Firstly, food may be preserved by cooling or freezing, to a very low temperature when longterm preservation is required. This was originally done by packing in a mixture of salt and
ice; today, cold storage is big business and refrigeration is a highly-developed science.
'Dehydration' may be bracketed with this method, as the principle involved is the same,
namely to suspend the operation of bacteria which requires normal temperatures for chemical
reaction. This is why reconstituted eggs cannot against dehydrated, and melted ice-cream
refrozen. the second method of destruction is by heat-processes, which destroy all the
bacteria present in food and drink. This process is used before canning foods in hermeticallysealed containers, great care being taken not to allow the foods or drink s to become reinfested after cooling and before canning. the third method is to preserve by the addition of
chemicals, which control or destroy bacteria. this is merely a follow-up of the old systems of
salting, smoking and candling.
Eventually, the method of 'cold sterilization' is expected to supersede most of the others; this
amounts to exposing the food-stuffs to ionizing radiation.
Today more than mere food-preservation is sought by the consumer, and for this reason,
processes are becoming more and more sophisticated. Quality, economy and convenience are

sought by modern man -- especially modern woman -- convenience is important, the 'readycooked' meal is popular, while, in Western, or 'Westernized' communities, goods do not sell
easily if they lack color, a good appearance, natural flavor, the right texture, and are free from
defects
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Travel as a part of education
'Education' in the broad sense is the drawing out of the individual's personality and
intellectual ability, and travel has always been considered an important part of this process.
Yet, the functions assigned to travel as part of education have varied curiously. Before
modern times, the greatest travelers were the Dutch, the onwards, the motives behind travel
were exploration, military conquest leading to ownership of foreign territories, trade and
commerce, and diplomacy. Clive of India, Sir Stamford Raffles of Singapore, are among the
great names associated with the old-fashioned object of travel -- colonization and, in the
opinion of some people, 'exploitation'. So far from learning about their travels, which, in a
sense, they were bound to do, whether they liked it or not, early travelers considered
themselves teachers -- of an outlook, a religion, and a way of life, which they assumed was
superior to what they found, just because in certain respects, it was more materially
advanced. The early travelers were explorers, 'empire-builders' and adventurers, despite the
incidental benefits they were able to confer on undeveloped countries. Countries which bred
travelers believed quite firmly that foreigners were 'lesser breeds without the law', and that
the only justification for travel was national or personal gain. The object was to make money
abroad, then come home and live 'as gentleman'. Typical of this spirit was the 'remittance
man' -- the 'black sheep' of the family who was paid to live overseas. "Deportation" -- was
the sentence imposed in 19th century Britain as an alternative to execution for certain serious
crimes. Botany bay in Australia was peopled by such criminals. An important factor in the
early days was time; travel, by sailing-ship or 'safari' meant months to an from a destination.
Going overseas meant being away a long time - perhaps for good. European travel was the
exception, and here, we look at a new consideration, that of 'culture'; Italy and Greece are
living reflections of ancient classical lore. The 'educated' young man, rich and sophisticated,
was not considered completely 'finished', until his classical education had culminated in a
'Grand Tour' of Europe. During this period, he used the languages learned in the schoolroom,
and saw for himself the places which had figured so prominently in his earlier studies. with
this new background, he became fit for the Army and Navy, or the Colonial and Diplomatic
Services. But, he always 'looked down' on the foreigner -- even the European -- as a secondrate person.
The theory of travel in the modern age is totally different, and this is because the attitude of
the older countries to foreigners had undergone ad radical change in the last 50 years. As
nations draw closer to one another, and we all progress to the ultimate goal of a worldcommunity, we tend to look upon all men as of equal value, and we are prepared to learn
from them all, however undeveloped their way of life may be. Today, every intelligent person
regards travel as an intellectual venture, and goes abroad prepared to learn rather than teach.
Not only his means of getting abroad, but also his occasions of wishing to go abroad have
undergone radical change within recent years.
Today, distance means little in terms of time. The European executive will soon be able to
make the return journey to the USA within the day; already the Singapore businessman can
reach England within 18 hours. The jet plane, the fast car, the ship, and the railway have

made travel for diplomatic, business or military reasons virtually an immediate thing. Travel
is, of course expensive but is much easier if the government or the firm pays the bill. But all
the same, it is far from being limited to the rich, or to officials. Today, travel is a function
spread throughout the community. Paid holidays help the worker to travel beyond his own
country. Perhaps the most important change is that, nowadays, people at every level of the
community are meeting overseas. This tends to spread an international outlook and makes for
world peace. It result sin a certain amount of resettlement and admixture of populations,
which has actual benefit from the education point of view.
Nowadays, few travel primarily to gain education, but education, though incidental, is the
inevitable result. Travel teaches climatic conditions, racial customs, religions languages and
the social and political outlooks of other nationalities. It helps in racial and national
understanding through exchange of ideas; it provides interesting conversation. Inevitable
certainly when the mind is tuned and receptive, but not so to the dull and narrow person, who
gains to benefit wherever he goes, and therefore might as well stay at home.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Science in everyday life
In its broadest meaning of 'knowledge', science enters the life of even the most primitive
human being, who knows the safe from the poisonous berry, who has stored up some
rudimentary ideas about building a hut, sharpening a spear, and fishing in the river. this
knowledge, or accumulation of experience, distinguishes man from the animal which has to
rely on instinct.
Yet, for most people 'science' means a number of abstract subject such as physics, chemistry,
biology and mechanics, to quote a few, which have to be learnt as part of 'education', yet
which seem to have little bearing on everyday living. How wrong this is. Our way o life is
completely dependent on science and its fruits surround us on all sides.
The Renaissance first taught man to realize the value of scientific progress, but it was not
until the 18th century that the Industrial Revolution in the West really showed the impact
science could have on living through developments in land-tillage, commercial production,
transportation, and the beginning of the supply of mass-produced consumer goods. Until
about 1920, progress was steady but in the last 45 years, the process of applying of science to
the needs of living has accelerated enormously. This has been proportionate to the rate of
scientific discovery itself.
Today, there is available an enormous range of consumer goods from the simple frying-pan to
the jet plane, from the alarm-clock to the computer. All these things serve to make life easier
and more pleasant, yet in themselves do not constitute civilization -- merely its comfortable
adjuncts. Progress in real living is achieved less through 'things' than through education, the
arts and the love of beauty. Science has nothing to say to us in these categories, merely
providing aids and short-cuts. Without them, life would be no more than the struggle for
survival; there would be no time or incentive to pursue higher things.
Science gives us safe food, free from harmful bacteria, in clean containers or hygienic tins. It
also teaches us to eat properly, indicating a diet balanced in protein and carbohydrate and
containing vitamins. The results is freedom from disease and prolonged life. In pre-scientific
days, food was monotonous and sometimes dangerous; today it is safe and varied. It is varied
because through improved sea, land and air transport food can now be freely imported and
exported. Science has also improved clothing and made it more appropriate for climatic and
working conditions. Man-made fibers and versatile spinning machines, today enable us to
dress in clothes both comfortable and smart without being expensive.
Home, school and office all bear witness to the progress and application of science.

Nowadays, most homes possess electric lighting and cooking, but many also have washing
machines, vacuum cleaners and kitchen appliances, all designed to increase comfort and
cleanliness and reduce drudgery. Science produces the fan which cools the air, the machinery
which makes the furniture and fabrics, and hundred and one other features for good living.
The books and papers are at school, and again everything from the piece of chalk to the
closed-circuit television of instruction are the direct or indirect results of scientific progress.
Learning is therefore easier. And clerical work is made far more speedy and efficient by the
office typewriter, quite apart from the hundreds of different machines which relieve the
manual worker of so much slow and monotonous toil in the factories.
In the old days, the idea of travel or taking a holiday was the monopoly of the privileged few.
Today, science has given us the steamer, the aircraft and the motor-car. New horizons are
opened to us and the increase of wealth brought about by science has given us the means to
enjoy the new leisure we have been given. But to enjoy life at all, we must be healthy and it
is perhaps in the sphere of medicine that some of the greatest advances have been made.
Today, because of the use of antibiotic and isotopes, many diseases are speedily cured and
man has become, on the whole, a healthier being, set free from pain and illness.
Science has been completely beneficial to ordinary living when properly applied. When
misused, it is equally harmful. Land can be poisoned by chemicals, workers can suffer
industrial disease, war can mobilize science to man's own destruction. Science is a good
servant, but man must remain master.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Reading and refinement
Ever since members of early civilizations used simple hieroglyphics to communicate their
thoughts, hopes and aspirations, there has been a close connection between reading and
refinement. For this purpose, the terms 'refinement' must be extended to include far more
than 'good manners' -- otherwise, the only reading necessary to produce he 'refined' person
would be a book on etiquette ! Refinement, however, really implies culture and civilization in
the widest sense, a combination of those qualities which differentiate man from the animal
world, and it is the bearing of reading on the development of these qualities which we must
examine.
A high standard of personal morality and unselfishness is cultured man's first characteristic.
This, he largely owes to the books of his religion, whether it be the Christian Bible, the
Muslim Koran, the Hindu Upanishads, the Philosophy of Buddha or Confucius. Such books
teach him the meaning of family life and virtues of honesty, peaceful living and integrity.
But, the best of secular literature helps him to achieve the same object. The innocence of
Ophelia, the nobility of Sydney carton cannot fail to impress and attract the reader.
Greek tragedy was intended to induce in the audience a 'Catharsis,' or purging of the
emotions, primarily those of 'pity and terror'. But the general reader finds that all good
literature has a salutary effect on the emotional side of his nature. Great emotional pleasure
may be derived from a good novel, as we enter fully into the life of the hero or heroine, an
the best of writing, whether it takes the form of poetry, drama, or the novel has an
undoubtedly maturing effect on our emotional nature.
For most people, however, the 'refined' person is the 'educated' person, the person whose
intellect has been developed through reading intelligent books. The clear, logical thinker
owes much to his grounding in the school-room, and even more to the love of reading which
this grounding has fostered. Reading becomes a stimulating function of adult life, and ceases
to be a child's tool for passing an examination or getting a job.
Cultured living requires that people should be 'well-informed,' and wide reading has the
added advantage of imparting useful general knowledge. Thus, the well-read man or woman

is more fitted to live in the community and travel, profitably, outside it. Such knowledge is
obtained from a variety of sources ranging from the newspaper and magazine to the many
available volumes of specialized non-fiction books.
An added benefit of good reading is the development of a love of language for its own sake.
Style, imagery and figurative language, the 'atmosphere of prose and poetry, its emotional
intensity and its intellectual content-all these things inculcate a love of beauty, the mark of a
truly civilized person.
No reader of good literature can fail to be influenced by the attitudes to life to members of
the family, to the community and to the nation which it contains. He constantly checks his
own philosophy against what eh finds, and in analyzing it, refines it. we do not necessarily
try to behave like people in books, but at least we can learn from them.
Sometimes, however, we rightly desire to model our lives on those of great men and women,
in so far as we can, and in this connection, the importance of reading biographies cannot be
over-estimated. it is a poor scientist who does not emulate the achievements of a MichaelAngelo or an Einstein, it is a poor nurse who does not admire the forcefulness and devotion
of Florence Nightingale.
Today, we live in a cosmopolitan community, which has become sophisticated and matured
by the admixture of foreigners, with their own languages, ways of life and special gifts.
Furthermore, few of us nowadays, spend all our live sin our own small village or town. And
so, it becomes increasingly important to know about other countries, other people. To know
about other countries, other people. To know something about them from books, perhaps to
learn their languages, at once smoothes the path to friendship, and it is a characteristic of a
refined person to wish to make friends with other nationals -- not to regard them suspiciously
as 'foreign devils.'
The refined person is the mentally disciplined person -- the person who demands a full and
intellectually satisfying life.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Modern youth
Modern youth, indeed all youth in whatever country, have something in common with the
crab. The crab, if you look at him carefully as he sidewalks the golden sandy shores of
Malaysia, has a very hard outside shell under which is a very soft interior and young people
can be compared with crabs.
Today's youth, in general, seem at first glance to be hard, sophisticated and wordy. On the
whole, he is better educated than his parents were. There are more schools, more colleges and
universities and more chances for him to develop the best that is in him. He enjoys all the
advantages of modern science, television, radio, faster and more efficient travel - all
contribute to his urbanity. A Malaysian youth enjoys travel these days just as the youth of
Europe and America does. Mass production means cheap, smart clothes within the reach of
most pockets. It means possessions too, on a far larger scale than what the previous
generations have had.
This group, if they are working are comparatively "well-off," and since between the ages of
fifteen and twenty, most of them are single, and live at home, very cheaply; they have more
actual spending money per head than any other age group. Consequently, their pleasures and
their possessions, clothes, make-up in the case of girls, and motor-cycles and things of that
kind for boys, are more abundant than they were ten years ago.
This age group too, seems to like the same kind of things and adopt similar fashions. Pop

music is its theme song. Walkman (cassette player) and youth seem to be inseparable and it is
"a hard day's night" for the rest! The 'Pop groups' have set the fashion among many young
people, for other things too. The long hair style of the modern young man of the West has
become almost a status symbol. Clothes for boys have a more distinctive cut and are
fashioned from brighter materials. The girls, while adoring the Western singers, wear their
hairs long and straight and "Baby Doll" dresses are "with it."
This, then, is the outer shell of the modern youth, but underneath is the soft vulnerable part.
He has his problems just as his parents had at the same age. For some examinations loom
forever large and these are, in some ways harder because competition is keen these days, and
the "rat race" so much quicker. In an Age of Technology, great emphasis is laid on technical
and written qualifications of all kinds. For others, who are wage earners already, there are
problems of balancing the budget, of making ends meet, of pleasing the boss and doing a
satisfactory job.
For all of them, there is the difficult process of transition from the child, with very few
responsibilities to the adult with very many. How to behave? What to say? Shall I sound or
look silly? How to run a banking account or a car? Such questions may seem trivial, but to
modern youth, struggling to find his feet in an adult world, they are all important, because
youth is, above all sensitive. An advantage of age is that life teaches us not to care too much
what other people think, but this is not given to youth and so they are easily hurt.
Questions of religion, of morals, of politics worry them, because this age group, or whatever
educational attainment is a "thinking" group. It questions, for the first time, the validity of
parental utterances or the sagacity of philosophers and religious leaders. All the time, it is
searching for truth and for the answers to life's problems. It sometimes thinks that it has
found them until life shows that is has not! Much, far too much, is written, discussed and
published about modern youth, its habits and its behavior.
Juvenile crime and delinquency, encouraged by violence in television programs and 'Comics,'
are, it is said on the increase. For the small minority, this is unfortunately true, but it must be
remembered that minor crimes, all of which are recorded and apprehended today, would have
been 'overlooked' or punished by 'authority' on the spot, fifty years ago. Nowadays, all
crimes, however trivial, reach juvenile Courts and so swell the statistics.
Modem youth is often irritating, but which generation of young people is not? It may have
'oddities' which to older people seem very peculiar indeed, but, on the whole, the picture is a
bright one. Young people, whether in the East or in the West, enjoy their young and, with
help and guidance, will mature to be the citizens and parents of tomorrow. Good citizens and
good parents, in these days will be discussing the foibles and peccadilloes of their own
children - the youth of tomorrow.