As a result, people walk all over you. You may have partnered a prestigious university to deploy Group Rapid Transit autonomous vehicles on their campus, but it’s still your fault that your 60-year-old neighbour who left her house late missed her train this morning.
Nonetheless, you believe that one day someone will finally appreciate your cheerful facade.
For now, you get an “A” grade for holding your shit together.
Your friend’s girlfriend is cheating on him? Doesn’t matter! There are more fish in the sea!
Your work proposal is due in an hour and your boss just ripped your ideas apart? Never mind! Think of new ones!
Your train broke down on the way to an important examination? Fret not! More time to study!
You are constantly thinking of ways to empower others through positive actions, such as by giving commuters up-to-date information to improve their journey experience or texting your friends bible verses every morning. It doesn’t matter that people usually don’t notice; what matters is that you have put in 110%.
To you, it doesn’t matter that there are more pressing concerns, you will do whatever you want, whenever you want, even if no one understands you. You will pick a drinking hole in Punggol or release 30th anniversary farecards if you damn well please.
In the end, you trust your gut when making decisions and hope people will realise that you do in fact know what’s best for everyone.
As such, you have resigned yourself to being wrong, no matter what you do. It doesn’t matter that SMRT has stepped up effort to make MRT and bus rides more accessible for all when Tan Ah Kao from the Straits Times comments section only wants to know why the SBS bus he rode in the morning did not cater to the wheelchair-bound.
Just like it doesn’t matter that you are not a mind reader, your girlfriend is still pissed.
So you empathise with Desmond Kuek, who appears to constantly have his plans derailed.
For all we know, he might have planned to call a press conference to show support for the recent tie-up between Mobike and SMRT seed-funded startup, mobilityX, that aims to enable better transport connectivity, but ended up fielding questions from the media about a breakdown that happened five years ago instead.
Like him, to be happier in life, you might just need better plans.
Whatever the case, you can only save yourself.
Do you never get credit for the good things you’ve done? Frustrated that others only ever remember your mistakes? We’re here to listen. Write to us at community@ricemedia.co.
