Would you still choose a life of hardship?

Firstly, let's not make it a case of comparison. Just like there are people poorer than me, there are richer ones as well. To one family, an expired loaf of bread is hazardous to eat. To another, as long as the mold can be scrapped off, it's still a meal for another day.

I think everyone goes through their fair share of ups and downs in life. During the highs, you'd wish it lasts forever.

During the lows, well, you'd wish you can go back to the highs. :)

Someone asked me, if given a choice, say a magical one, to reverse time, would I opt for a life that's easier? Perhaps a life that I didn't drop out of college and went on to secure a great job in a great company. Or one where I don't get divorce and left to take care of Will on my own. Or one where I don't have to see my Ma fought a losing battle with cancer. Or one that my parents didn't separated. Or one without the numerous failures in between.

Don't get me wrong: I wanted to say Yes. Much tempted, really.

But then I'm reminded, there's no guarantee that the other life - the other Maverick - won't suffer as well. I could be in a job that is not fulfilling, draining my very essence everyday as I clock in for work. I could be in a loveless relationship. I could loose my Ma in a split second, like a car crash, where I don't get to say proper goodbyes, or have a chance to learn life lessons during the days of impending death.

And don't even get me started on the business failures. Truthfully, it hurts like hell when you fail, and if you fail a couple more times, you don't necessary get immune to it either. Coz as the failure gets bigger, the pain cuts deeper, the scars just don't go away.

One of my earlier role models once told me,

"If you can get over this hardship, you'll think you can handle the same hardship life throws at you. It's true, you can, because you learn from your mistakes, and you're smart. But here's the thing: life ain't gonna throw the same rock at you again. The next one is gonna be a boulder."

So seriously, you don't get immune to hardship, you just get used to it. You understand that there will be a ledge during the climb where you can lay down for a rest, but eventually, you gotta brave the climb again. Sometimes, you look back, and thought how nice it will be if you settled.

But nah, you ain't gonna pick that. Because you can't, and you won't be contented.

I guess that why I would say Yes to a life of hardship. Nope, it's not about becoming a maverick, or rebellious, or gung-ho, or brave (in some circles, it's called stupid). I think I'm addicted to the experience that comes with it, the stories I can tell, the smile I can give when I look back.

We are the sum of our experience. To take out a chunk of our life, is to rewire us. Sure, maybe it can rewire us to be a better person, but that's a gamble. I rather work with that I have, because it sure wasn't easy coming about.

So yes, I would choose a life a hardship, one that moulds me to be a better person. But I would also say a little prayer, for a guiding light when I'm dark, a helping hand when I'm down, a fraction of map when I'm lost.

Would you choose a life of hardship?

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