Today's reality... yesterday's dream

Opening Address 19 April 2012

Sapa is a rich and arable land in the Northern part of Vietnam. There was a story that long time ago, a young lad fled from his home after a fight with a nasty landlord. He walked and walked till he came upon a paddy field. He approached the Village chief to allow him to stay, in turn he would help in the farm.

The chief agreed. At dawn the next day, when the dogs barked and the cocks crowed, the young lad put on the unmistakable conical hat and joined the rice farmers. In the large scale of wet soil and ponds galore, workers spread in rows. The farmers bowed almost 45 % and planted each young grass just centimeters into the fertile soil. With focus and skillful hands, they distributed the paddies. They waded laboriously in the flooded field, in a formation-like manner.

The young lad was fast and impatient. He was moving way ahead of others. In a distance away, he turned back to look and was happy with himself. He thought, "what’s the point of the routine?"

Then he watched in wonder when he saw all the farmers stood up, straighten their bodies and then bend slightly backwards to inhale and exhale, with arms spread outwards. They held the posture for short moments, at interval times. However, the young lad didn’t bother to follow as he wanted to finish his job and be done with it! Anyway, he was still fit and did not need all these, he thought.

The next morning, the young lad had trouble getting out of bed. His body ached like a thousand horses ran over him. He moved slowly to the hut’s window and glanced over to the fields. A bounty of greens swayed gently as the morning breeze caressed the crops .

The scene was inspiring. Except that, when he gazed further to the familiar patches that he worked on the day before . Oh .. was it a mistake?

Patches of lifeless stalks withered under the first rays of the sun .. it was a pitiful sight . He sighed … Just then, an elderly woman entered the room and came towards him.

She spoke up, “ Rice growth does not depend on the fertile soil alone . It will not have life if you do not give it the right treatment . You did not allow the soil to aerate for cultivation. And look, your body must be aching now . You did not ask and follow the routine. Everything has its cause and effect . Our people stretch and exhale slowly, that’s to expel the atmospheric methane given out by the paddies. A routine yet also a tradition . We need to regain energy before we restart a process. If you understand and follow the rules, you shall reap all that you sow.”

The moral of the story :

Are there people, like the young lad, who rush through their jobs and their roles without knowing the purpose, without a passion and without the right performance?

Most tasks and activities have their cause and effect.

Every house has its rules. It’s called house rules.

Every game has its rules. It’s called game rules.

In Toastmasters, other than the 3 taboo subjects (politics, sex and religion), you are invited to share your stories unconditionally on one condition - that you do not go overtime.

TODAY’S OAK TREE WAS YESTERDAY’S NUT PLANTED ON THE GROUND.

TODAY’S REALITY WAS YESTERDAY’S DREAM BEING PURSUED .

- contributed by Club President Ida Lee