The subway was crowded with a mix of students in transit and people heading out early from work. Within the orderly mix that Singaporeans have come to expect were five young students still in their uniforms. Their loud voices caused me to wonder where the parent or guardian one. There may have been one nearby. I have no idea because there was nobody was paying this small group any attention. I could not find a lingering glance or watchful eye in anyone in the car.
As unusual as this would be in any country, what struck me more was their total lack of awareness of anyone around them. Two were sitting on the normal seats. Two others were sitting on the floor beside them. Another was standing in the aisle chatting away. If was as if they were in a world of their own! Nothing seemed to touch their awareness. People came and went without notice. Multiple stops came and went without a passing glance. They knew what they needed to know, the rest did not seem to matter.
I watched from a distance for twenty minutes. It was wonderful to watch kids enjoying life. My stop arrived and they went on without a care in the world. It was a refreshing reminder of what self-awareness can look like.
I wonder what my life and behavior would look like if I took a similar approach. In contrast to shaping myself to the world around me, I would stand naturally without consideration. While being cognizant of where I was, I would act on my priorities and values without thinking of consequences. It sounds crazy; the kids appear to have a level of wisdom that I often lack.
One friend commented to another that their “true identity is flat and plain, not puffed up with the wrong kind of ingredient.” (1 Corinthians 5.7) An attribute that I see in individuals with wisdom is that they fully embrace this concept. I wonder what this would look like in my life. Today will have opportunities to intentionally begin the discovery.
