Punctuality is a Virtue

Dear Chosunghye,

Its good to hear from you and it was my pleasure to meet young and brilliant minds like yourself. I confess that it makes me reminisce my college days - some of the best days in my life.

As I look back, since my college days I have had the privilege of having very spectacular successes and equally spectacular failures in my life. Over the years, I have realized that it is both the successes and failures that are portrayed in my public persona. It defines me.

There is one thing that I like to share with you - a lesson that I had learnt later in life but I thought that I could get away with it as a teenager:

I used to be regularly late for assembly in the mornings and this was due to the limited bus services that were plying between Bedok South and Tampines JC in 1987/88. I had to take two buses to get to college. I'll be arriving right on the dot at 7.30am even if I took the first bus in the morning.

My Civics Tutor called me up one day and she was very angry that I was always late. I tried to explain to her that it was not my fault and that it was the fault of the transportation system here. Obviously, she did not accept my reasoning and said that I will have to be punctual even in the adult world. I didn't think much back then, but I told her not to worry and that I will own my own business someday and I can go to work anytime.

True to what I said as a teenager, I run my own enterprise today but I have realized that punctuality is even more important to me now cos I pay people to work for me and if I make them wait, I'll have to pay a price for it (cos I pay them salaries). So I am kinda forced to be punctual and early and so Miss. Yap was right after all.

As a teenager, I was very rebellious and thought that I could change the world. But, as I grew up I understood there is a reason why people do the things they way they do. The world changes and progresses no doubt. But, our fundamental human value stick around for a long long time. All the best in your endeavours.

P/s- I am mentoring some college students from Tampines Junior College. This is my response to one of the students. Do email me at cumeran@gmail.com if you need any advise.