Ageing and dying is part and parcel of the living and dying
process. In Singapore however the family unit is getting smaller
and many do not live together in an extended family arrangements
whereby they get the chance to bond love and understand their older
folks. Grannies and Grandpas are just someone convenient to drop
off the kids to, when the parents are busy and need some help. And
when they are old and aged, the occasional weekly and monthly
visits suffice on a "rotation basis" by the children. The daily
care of the old being relegated to Pinoy or Indonesian maids. This
is the way Singaporeans are bred in this lovely metropolis! So they
look upon the ageing old and sick parents as a bloody
inconvenience. How many these days will clean up the soiled
clothing reeking of urine and shit of their old parents suffering
from incontinence?" Oh it's too dirty - must have a maid to do
that!" is the common retort. In educating our kids, we give them
the best in terms of knowledge base and experiences. Our children
are well fed, well travelled and spoilt rotten. Personally cleaning
and caring for their aged parents are task too beneath this
generation of nouveau riche Singaporeans with maids these days! It
is high time schools spent less resources on immersion courses
overseas etc and perhaps spend some effort engaging their students
in social work activities, by forming social work clubs in schools
and organise routine visits to help in homes for the aged and
physcially challenged. Let there be some practical lessons in
humanity and compassion starting in schools, less in future we
become an even more uncaring, unfeeling and crass Singapore. No
point having a highly educated population of emotionally unfeeling
derelicts!
Sad that our government would like us to work cheaper, faster,
better but makes it so hard to hire maids to look after the young
and old in our familes.
