We're 54 Today

My country is 54 years old today.


Another year and she'll join the "senior" category. :P In human years, our country is no baby. She's old enough to be a grandma, if you know what I mean.


Yet, somehow I have a feeling that we're reverting back to our chaotic adolescent years. We are still quarreling and squabbling amongst ourselves over petty things. We're still making mountains out of molehills. (It's like we're still undergoing puberty. @.@)


There is a lot of dissatisfaction, disenchantment, disagreements, disillusionment. Prejudice, biasness, injustice, discrimination.


Until today, I still get long wordy emails giving me some alternate history lesson that I never learned in school about the origins of our country. Emails that claim a certain race are not really the bumiputeras (natives) of this country. Emails that urge you to forward to others, to let them know the injustice that prevails because this fact is overlooked.


Know what I do with emails like those?


I delete them. Immediately.


Why? Because frankly, pardon my language, I don't give a damn.


I don't care who came here first. The fact of the matter is, history has shown us that ALL races played their part, their role, in securing independence for our country. No effort is insignificant. We worked hard for it. This country is ours. She belongs to us.


And don't you think that 54 years down the line, "We were here first!" is completely irrelevant?


And might I say that we have become overly-sensitive little brats? We find fault in every single little thing. We want to find fault in every single little thing. Witty and fun commercials that meant nothing are turned into sinister brainwashing attempts by certain parties. Festive satirical advertisements are really subtle ways of insult. We read into things that are just not there. Reminds me of little kids who kick up a fuss when they're bored.

We want to play "It was his fault!" "He started it!" games. We retaliate. We fight fire with fire. You confiscate, we burn. You say this, I do that.


Like I said, little brats! >.<


We're supposed to be reaching seniority in our years. Why are we declining, instead of progressing?


Let's be adults here. Not little bratty kids. Let's listen more, rather than shout opinions. Let's be proactive and do the right things through the right channels, not sulk and grumble in a corner. Let's accept one another and be gentle, not accuse and discriminate. Let's play nice, not dirty.


We are 54 years old this year, goodness. Let's start acting our "age"!

She deserves it.


Happy birthday, Malaysia. We love you. :)