Yesterday, I reached out to a Youtuber.
He is quite famous in the niche that he is in and has earned some national competitions.
He used to be an SIA pilot in the 80s and migrated to the US, stopped being a pilot and works in the IT industry.
So I dropped him an email and he was nice enough to have a chat with me for around 30 mins.
I asked him why he moved to the US, what were the charms of the US.
What was I missing? Why was I unable to see the beauty of the US that everyone else is able to see.
His answer was simple and I'll summarize and analyze what I took away from the conversation.
Note, the words below aren't what he said. It's how I perceive it and present what I took away from the chat.
The examples below are added in by myself as a better way to express his views to readers.
I spent most of my time in SG. I am used to an orderly life. There isn't many things to see in SG. Spend one year in SG, and one can see most of the stuff in SG.
In US, he can do anything. The mask issue is an example. To Singaporeans, the mask issue in the US is a problem. But to them, the mask issue is part of the beauty of being in the US. You don't tell us what to do.
Stupid no doubt. But that in itself is part of the freedom that they cherish so much.
Cos the potential that a freedom is infringed upon means a potential that ALL freedoms are infringed upon. If you don't fight for one freedom, then you won't fight for ANY freedoms.
Think about our CPF withdrawal. From 55 years old to 65 years old. From lump sum to annuity.
He told me there's so much to see in the US. It would take a lifetime to explore and that's not even enough. I could drive for a week from California to New York and see so many different things and cultures along the way. US is very big, the cultures from each state, each city is different.
I thought about what he said.
I started to get a better picture of my own mentality.
I'm like a farm animal. Domesticated.
Give me the freedom to move around, I don't want to move around. Or maybe I don't even know how to move around. All my life, I've learned to just prance around the farm. And I'm happy enough.
Suddenly the owner let's me out and tells me that I'm free...
Woah. I dunno what to do. And maybe, to me, also no point. I rather just stay in the farm.
Warm, comfortable. Live my life simply.
Hey, I could be a horse. Might not need to be slaughtered.
Singapore is like that. A nice cozy bubble. Everything is efficient. It works. And yes, of course, this can be boring. All the other animals just follow law, the farmer will handle all other issues.
Then there's the wild, the wild horse comes to me, tells me I can run in the open plains, see the sunrise and ocean from the cliff top. I can become stronger running in the wild.
There's predators around, but that keeps him on the edge. Be strong, be fast, or be eaten. It could kill him, but it also drives him.
We always watch shows about animals wanting to be free. The viewer always is led to believe that freedom, the wild, is a worthy goal for ANY animal to strive for.
Yes and no...
Wild animals should be free. They grew up in the wild. They know what to do. They know the risks. They enjoy the freedom.
Domesticated animals... well, they will just be eaten. They aren't ready. Maybe they can be trained.
Maybe someday I'll love the freedom. Maybe someday I'll be able to appreciate the US more.
But currently. I just want to go back to the farm. It's nice and cozy. Everything is familiar.
I don't want to see the sunrise or ocean on the cliff tops. Not if I need to live in fear of being eaten.
It is a trade off.
There's good and bad living in the wild or on the farm.
To each their own.
The farm horse will think the wild horse is stupid for risking his life just for a view and to run around.
The wild horse will think that the farm horse is stupid to give up his freedom just for the safety and security of food and shelter.
But what if the farm burns down? What if the farmer dies? What happens next?
The thing is... There's nothing I want to do in the US. Yes, there are places to go, places to see, places to explore. There's many things to do. For people who love to try new things, it's great.
But to me, it's like financial planning. There's always something else to buy, something else to see.
There's unlimited wants. To go on trips to see these places will take time and money.
And for me, I don't appreciate these as much. I value money a lot.
Although, I will try... I'll try to take some trips this coming year before the contract ends. Maybe I'll learn to understand what the wild horse was talking about. Maybe the freedom to run and see the sunrise and ocean on the cliff top really is worth the loss of comfort or security of the farm.
I don't know. Maybe I'll find out.
Or maybe I'll just go back to the farm and lie in my nice warm stable...
Is the wild or farm better?
Who knows?
I suppose it depends on the abilities and survivability of the animal in question, and what the animal wants for itself.
<<PREVIOUS POST // NEXT POST>>
Did you like this post? If so, could you "blanjah" me 1/4 cup of my morning coffee pls.
You may also consider subscribing to receive the articles in your email, link in the column on the right.