Friends

Ever since I am at very young age, I can easily get friends and befriended anyone.

The inner behaviour in me which is very strong... did not like to hurt or disrespect anyone in any way perhaps earned me many friends. Well... At times I really feel this is disadvantage as well. Cos I do not know how to turn down people politely. Any way, I learn as I grow up to say no to my friends.

Friends... Please take note: Friends can be of great help and also can be our worst enemy and disaster in life...

When I was at my teenage life, practically I have friends everywhere. Who is good and bad, I don't really know how to differentiate them. To me at that time, those who hurt my feelings are the bad ones. But very few of these friends will show their true colour.

At the age of 14, I started to learn how to socialise around. I mixed with few groups of friends. I even mix with friends who are not from my school that is my cousin, Kee. So lucky that mom has always been against me getting close to this friend. Mom told Ms Devi (my tuition teacher) to made me realise on her worries about me and the people I mix with.

I felt so lucky that Ms Devi managed to make me realised how much my parents love me and from that time onwards I did not mix with Kee. Mom is very right. Kee ended up becoming a drug addict and went to prison a few times. So do Kee's friends. Majority of them became drug addicts as well.

By right from here I should learn my lesson well but then I just learned that not to mix with the wrong party. I still do not know what are the harms that friends might do on us.

When I was in my college life, as usual I mix freely with friends. I still remember at one time when I was with few friends walking along Bunga Raya Road in Melaka, I was waiving practically non stop to people. My friends even noticed this and even said I was waiving to so many people from the beginning of the road till the end of the road. That shows how popular and friendly I was.

Finally, it is when at my college life that I learned my lesson well from my classmate, Meng Kiat. At one he was my room mate. I spent so much on him as he is not from a well to do family till he took things for granted out of me. From him, I learnt my lessons well.

From that time onwards, I really learnt my lessons well. Even though I still mix and be friendly with people, I choose my friends carefully.

When I was having my bakery business in Ipoh and Butterworth, I basically do not have any close friends at all through my college lessons.

After divorce, when I am in the tourism industry, again I felt the importance of friends.

It is Chee who helped me back into the tourism industry. And during my guiding life, I come across few friends who are very sincere and helpful. I started to treat Kong, Sam and Thum as very close friends like brothers.

It is very well important that the people we mix with should be the creme de la creme: Meaning to say that if the people that we mix are of top quality, generally we will be one of the top as well.

However, if we are not careful, the friends that we mix with are gamblers, generally we will become gamblers. Please note that friends tend to mould us into what we are as well indirectly without us realising it.

Of course there are just too many bad incidents and experiences that I am very careful with my friends. I always when we have more friends, they are more harmful then useful. Mom has always reminded me this from time to time.

I have few very lucky moments that through friends help that I go through my hardships.

Sam lend me the money so that I have my deposit money to buy this house I call home.

Kong entertain me and accompanying me when I was so down when I broke up with my girlfriend.

Thum helped me when I was really down at my job. He voluntarily allowed me to follow him during his tours. He made me wake up and well aware on how to earn money again.

So, friends could be very helpful. Friends could be very harmful as well. The power is in our hand to choose our own friends. Be smart in choosing friends and they will help you in a lot of ways...