They say that when a person reaches the end of their life, they see their whole life flash before their eyes in an instant. They relive the joy, the pain, the guilt, the humiliation, and laugh at their mistakes. They look back on their choices, the paths they took, the avenues they left behind. They remember the people they loved, the people they hurt, and the people they forgot. So many dreams, hopes, fears, regrets. Do they feel a sense of accomplishment? Contentment? Peace in their hearts as they look back and smile? Or do they feel overwhelming remorse? Regret? A final shattering realization that it is too late to take back a hurtful word, too late to cherish a loved one, too late to apologize to a neglected friend? Do they anticipate the end of their journey? Do they fear it? Are they grateful for what they've been given? Or are they spiteful to be taken away so soon? Can they see the road ahead? It is bright? Is it dark? Will there be someone waiting on the other side? Will they be missed? Or will their passing go unnoticed and unmourned? In a single instant, it is as though a blindfold has been lifted, as their eyes truly see the world around them, and they embrace it for the first and last time.
The end of our lives. Could be today. Could be tomorrow. Could be eighty years from now. Hard to say. I almost envy those with terminal illness, for they are able to spend the remainder of their lives correcting mistakes and saying goodbye to their loved ones. Unlike those who die suddenly in accidents and intentional accidents. The truth is that although we can't see when our lives will end, we should not live fearfully, but rather openmindedly. Don't live for money and vain worldly possessions, because once you're gone, they means nothing. Live for people, because even when you're gone, you live on through them.
In my life, I've had much for which to be thankful. I have my family, whole and healthy. I have my friends, and although I have lost contact with so many along the way, they remain with me in my memories. I have my life experiences, my education, my beliefs, my ability, all that I need to find my way in the world. I have everything.
I am a devout Christian. I've seen my fair share of miracles, and witnessed first hand how tragedies bring out the better side of human nature. My faith stands unshaken after all these years, because I have no reason to doubt. God has been with me every step of the way, guiding me through hazardous rocks and flying by my side through open air.
I say I don't believe in fate, but deep down in my heart I'm sure I do. There's a reason for everything, meaning behind every riddle. I'll take the good and the bad, and try to make some sense out of it. Fate, is a miraculous thing.
On January 19th, 2007, I made my first forum. I poured so much time and effort into it, and soon made friends with many members. Those were good times. Everyone was so close, like a real family. In fact, it was such a success that I made my second forum on January 30th, 2007. Through affiliation, many of the original members also joined the second forum and everyone became even closer. On February 7th, 2007, Kathy joined the second forum, and was soon swept into our expanding group of friends due to her enthusiasm and eagerness to participate. On February 9th, 2007, Kathy posted the first comment in my introduction thread. I had said that I lived in Australia. I was 17.
HIII!!
which part of Australia are you from?? SYD? xD if you are SO AM I!
lol... your a year younger then me though xD..
wow u learnt alot of languages! xD multi-talented xD
NICE TO MEET YOU ^^
The next day I replied and confirmed that yes, I do live in Sydney, and that I was commencing Uni next month. I asked her which Uni she would be attending, and joked that it would be cool if we went to the same one. She wrote back four hours later:
LOL! ahahaha...
yeah starting uni this year... i thought u were in yr 12 this year lol my bad xD
im around strathfield area.. u?!?!?!
im going to UNSW.. are u?1?!?! hahaha if u are that so kool!!! xD
oh and wat course are u doing??
hahaha yeah nice to meet you too xD
At this point I had a fit of excitement of course, because I actually might get to meet her. Which was nice, because a lot of my other close forum friends lived overseas. I told her I would be studying Media & Communications, bouncing the question back to her as customary. Not even in my wildest dreams did I anticipate her reply.
AHAHAHA... xDxD
im doing B arts (media and communications)
LOLZ!!! *hi5*
haha yeah alrite lets meet up sometime ahhaha
are you going to O-week?
I almost died of excitement. And wrote a huge, long, capitalized exclamation of delight. I had thought I would be starting Uni alone, and never had I imagined I would meet my first and best Uni friend online, in an international forum I had made for fun. As Mia commented in utter surprise, things like this just don't happen everyday. No, they really don't.
At that point everyone started offering suggestions as to how we should meet and recognize each other, ranging from waving banners, to forum nametags, to personalized t-shirts. And of course we did meet, in our first ever Film lecture. I still remember it quite clearly. One of us was late, or maybe we just didn't have any clue what the other looked like, but we couldn't find each other before the Ritchie Theatre class started. After class we both hung around, and she called me. I noticed her holding her phone, and the rest is history.
Kathy and I, we could talk so easily, about anything and everything, and we got along as though we had grown up together. Even though we haven't seen each other at all after graduation almost two months ago, and don't get to speak nearly as much as we used to, she still remains one of my best friends, and I hope our friendship continues, because hey Kathy, it's fate!
Fate, is such a miraculous thing. You will never guess what could happen in the next second, who you might meet, what that may mean. In a sense, it gives life entertainment value.
Speaking on such an intriguing topic, I feel compelled to dwell a little longer.
Around November, 2000, my family and I moved to St Andrews and we began attending Minto Church. There I met
Gab. I barely looked at her, as she sat with Tab and Jon and likewise ignored me. Again, it was fate that made us friends. One afternoon, we were at Steph's house, and all the children were playing in the yard with a beachball. Gab and I were the eldest two present, and we controlled the game. Suddenly a gust of wind (fate in disguise?) blew the ball into the neighbour's yard. We just stood there, looking at each other like idiots. Then we both started laughing, and the ice broke a little. But the real stroke of fate, the final seal of our friendship, wasn't delivered until after Christmas. I remember being dressed in oversized towels from the Christmas play when her mother proudly told my mother that Gab would be starting highschool at St George Girls in a month. She was a little worried though, as the school was almost two hours away by train. This worry didn't last long, as my mother promptly told her that I was attending the same school. So, for the next six years, Gab and I caught the train to and from school every weekday, and we saw each other seven days a week. In fact, during school term, I'm quite sure I saw her more than my own family. At the time, we were the only students from St George Girls who travelled to school from our area, so we can safely say it was fate, or maybe God answering her mother's prayers for Gab not to be alone on the treacherous road to school, that brought me to Church and then Steph's house to become friends with her. So many years after highschool, she is still one of my best friends, and I am sure that we will always be. Last month, I just filmed an MV for her 21st birthday. We've known each other for over a decade.
More examples?
Take
Scott, a very cool Canadian game programmer I met at Game Jam Sydney 2010. I was on the Media crew, holding the massive camera and filming everyone. He was one of many very cool game programmers, so I didn't really remember him. On April 10th, 2010, I was on the train home from working at the Swans vs Tigers AFL match. Being me, I chose to sit in the very last carriage of the train, as it stops directly in front of the exit at my station. Being midnight, the train was dead empty. My guess was no more than seven passengers in the entire train when I got on at Central. My carriage, was definitely empty. At Redfern, a single person got on my carriage, and came downstairs to sit. I must admit, I was a little annoyed. The carriage was empty, why couldn't he sit upstairs? At Sydenham, he got up and walked over to me, a little worried. He inquired whether the train was going to stop at Penshurst, because his iPhone didn't seem to think so. I reassured him that it did. He told me he was a chef, working from morning till night, and when I asked whether he was Scottish, he replied he was Canadian. Various Canadian jokes from the Winter Olympics ensued, and it turned out he was a writer too, with his first book soon to hit the racks in your local bookshop. I was impressed. His book seemed deep and satirical, a good read. Trying to explain his other hobbies, he asked me whether I had ever heard of Game Jam. I don't think he expected me to, as it was a niche event and this was Sydney's first time running it. My reply of, "omgosh I was totally there" surprised him considerably. We stared at each other until I remembered him as the Canadian dude who wrote down everyone's emails after the three days spent in confinement and sent us details about a gamer website he was trying to build up, and he remembered me as the crazy girl running around with the oversized video camera. Not hard to remember, I must say, considering there were only five girls there altogether, and definitely only one running around with an oversized video camera. Small world, isn't it? Empty train at midnight, he was the only other passenger. There I was, thinking I was talking to a complete random. Turned out we knew each other. Turned out we live very close to each other.
The list is endless. There's
Arthur, whom I first heard of on AF (yes Arthur, you were famous back then), then met through
Jenny (forcing both of us to moderate on her Hu Ge forum) a while later, only to find that we both live in Sydney, and we both attend UNSW. Then
Marcela, whom I also heard about on AF (everyone was in awe of her), and who turned out to be not only in Sydney and UNSW, but also in my Media course at Uni as well. Like
Kathy. Wow.
Michelle, who was my best friend in fourth grade when I first arrived in Australia, and who I lost contact with completely until she appeared at St George Girls in year eleven.
Cris, who also arrived at St George Girls in year eleven and quickly joined our group, had come from Macquarie Fields High, the school that I was originally going to attend with my primary school friends. She knew them all.
Fate never ceases to impress me, and I look back on these past events with wonder. I'm sure there are many more people out there I'm destined to meet, and I'm excited to meet them when the time is right. For now, I am so glad to be blessed with the people I have. I couldn't ask for more. Life is full of surprises. I want to cherish every part of every moment, so at the end of the road, I can look back with a smile.