The Best Weapon

About 35 years ago, as us trainee managers got our postings to various SQ stations, we would visit each other. I recall one such visit to Egypt and we would then see places suggested by the new 'local'. On one of our drives out of Cairo towards the south, we stopped by a village and I saw a class in session just like this. Back in those days, we were using film cameras, and to my disappointment, I lost this particular roll of film (it must have dropped out of the bag while I was reloading the camera). With the help of AI (Gemini in this case), I got it to recreate the image still vivid in my mind's eye.

It was a serene, uplifting scene. 

Today, it is anything but. "Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world", said Mandela. Back then, for this class of students, they were getting armed right. Right now, students in war torn lands around the world and especially the middle east are abandoning classes in order to avoid bombs and bullets. These weapons are not ensuring peace but sowing hatred in a new generation. 

Despite (maybe because of) all our technological advancements, we are facing a simultaneity of crises from climate change and social inequalities, and of course military conflicts. While it is amazing AI can create a serene image from the past, what good would that be if humans today are wreaking havoc on the relative peace and prosperity the world has known in the past 7 decades. Where are the better angels of our nature?

Sweet Spot Wisdom

My mom, knowing that I love to collect things, decided to give me some owls, which she had procured from various vacation souvenir shops. I have since added to this starter pack and now have a parliament of owls lining the ceiling in my study.

I see them whenever I work from home and that happens a fair bit nowadays. I don't think it's because their big googly eyes stare back at me but from a young age I have been quite the owl. I would sleep late - often well past midnight. It's a habit that suits D. She is an early bird and would go to bed early but is easily spooked when sleeping lightly. I have been on the receiving end of her annoyance whenever I climb into bed thumpingly or declare my "love only love". So, going to bed when she has fallen into deep sleep means I can settle in, listen to some boring YouTube podcast and fall asleep myself. 

Last night, as I stayed up to watch the final episode of Clarkson's Farm 4, I was joined by the third woman i love dearly: my daughter, together with her fiancee. We joked about visiting Jeremy Clarkson's pub, The Farmer's Dog, the next time we are in England together; perhaps (wink wink) when they are having an Oxford college wedding. I love it that I can talk so openly with M & J.

Mother, wife, daughter : a trinity of love that will make anyone a happy man. Add father, son and children in-law, the love is more than complete. Seven-fold, the magic number indicating perfect fullness.

My train has arrived at a happy station... though I think it still has some more stops to make. There is indeed a destination. There is this chart I saw (as meaningful as ikigai) which depicted a Venn diagram of health, wealth and time. Few people can reach this point which HBS referred to as the sweet spot wisdom.

I think of my cousin in law, P, who passed last week. A good man who has accomplished much in life. Rising from humble means to manage one of the country's top law firm. And accomplished and awarded lawyer himself, he also served the country and social causes. However, at 61, a year before his retirement, he fell ill. He never got to that point, though he clearly got to his ikigai (what we are good at, what the world needs, our job and our purpose).

I discussed with D that I would like to enjoy our third act together. Over the next three to four years, there are some milestones ahead to enjoy. First J&N's wedding, then M&J's, the completion of the scholarship bonds. I think I should also use the foundation if ikigai and move into the next stage of life together with D: spending more time with the seven-fold love and hopefully growing family.