I am sure you guys have read about the late Ross Tay who passed on recently from lap band surgery complications. From the uninitiated, lap band surgery is a procedure done to stitch the top part of the stomach to make one feel full faster during meals (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lap_Band). This procedure is one of the last resorts doctors will recommend for obese people who have unsuccessfully gone through dieting and exercise, and done only on people with BMI above 32.
I was trying to crack my brains on where I had met Ross before and I realised he was a fellow service staff once in Fire discotheque where I had worked as a service captain before I was enlisted in the army.
I also realised that the only thing I remember about him was that he always had a sincere smile on his chubby, boyish face. He seemed a happy lad. I'm not going to say 'despite his size' because we all know some people are the way they are due to reasons and factors beyond our control like genetic factors and all. And I'm sure Ross did the best he could and the procedure was a last ditch effort for him to become healthier for him and his loved ones.
I think the lessons to be learnt here is to maintain a positive attitude throughout one's life no matter what.There have been numerous cases of terminally-ill patients given 'death sentences' by doctors and then go on surviving for decades because they simply refused to give up and let their positive attitude help in the healing process.
I mean, how many people living with adversities you know have gone through life doing fine? Tons! People born with birth defects, people born with leprosy, people morbidly obese, people with intellectual disability, people with terminal ilnesses and lifetime conditions. And most of them have infectious, positive attitudes and a happy take and perspective on life because in spite of their conditions, they know they can't do much beside what can be done, except for to stay happy and positive.
I can't count how many of my friends who are blessed with perfectly normal lives who get agitated really easily by little, trivial things and lament on how much they are suffering in life because they need to keep up with the Joneses, they constantly need to get higher degrees, they constantly need to change cars to keep up with the times, etc. Sometimes it's funny to see these people them lament on really petty things like not enough chili with their ban mian or porridge. I mean, c'mon.. if you complain and fret about every single thing, when is it going to end? When you finally feel pain on your chest and the doctor announces you've got high blood pressure and your heart is failing? When you are only 30? Damn! I've even got a friend whose face when you see her, you will know she's easily agitated and you wouldn't want to mess with her. I pity people like this who simply cannot see the lighter side of things.
Anyways, I firmly believe that if you surround yourself with happy people, happy music, watch happy and funny films that make you laugh till your stomach hurts - you will likely sail through the journey of life with more ease.
