But I Still Love Plants

When I was young, I dread this question: What would you like to be when you grow up".

Why must English teachers always choose these sort of questions for essay writings? Come on, as kids, are we supposed to have it all sorted out already?

I seriously cannot remember what I have written for all these assignments, but I am sure it was the run-of-the-mill essays I've learnt to churn out over time (read: copy from a few friends).

The first time when I felt a serious inclination toward any career when I was in Primary 1 was soundly put down by my mom, and for good reason actually. I told her that I want to be a teacher. To which she asked me to think about how much blood I will vomit if I had am to teach a child as ... erm ... handful as myself, and then multiply that by 40 (back then that's the standard class size). I felt a shiver up my spine and put out that idea for good.

Years later, I thought perhaps I am onto something interesting. That maybe I should consider a career in botany. Yes, the study of plants and trees. I felt that that might be my calling, to be surrounded by nature. Of course, I shared that with my mom and, of course, she had something to say about that. But she has gained enough wisdom to deal with air-headed teenage. She simply told me to be prepared not only to study the plants but to eat them as well, for there are no decent paying jobs in this line of work, especially in a place like Singapore. Again, I felt that shiver up my spine.

So today, I am only vomiting blood when I have to do homework with our little princess and I am only trying to keep my plants from dying on me every now and then. How nice.

But I still love plants.

I still love to find fully bloomed flowers and admire them for a while.

Even if that meant trekking a short distance in soft muddy ground to take a closer look.

Even if it meant standing under a hot sun to take a closer look.

But of course, nature would be more helpful if it happen to place a cutesy flowering plant near the carpark lot which you just parked. They are definitely a better sight to behold than doormen at most establishments.