A peek into their lives

One of the most interesting aspects of life on the road, is the opportunity to meet new people, of different professions and backgrounds. They provided insights into some life lessons and experiences, some of which I would not have the opportunity to peek otherwise.

The two gentlemen were ex-armed forces, here on business. One recounted to us his experiences in wartime Bosnia. The other was his trainer.

The third is a heart surgeon, born of a military family that grew up in hardship. Listening to his stories about his childhood made me realize how lucky I was to have a good childhood. My childhood seemed luxurious compared to his.

Between him and his two siblings and their mum, they shared a can of sardines and rice for lunch and dinner. They had occasional keropok for snacks. How his mum sold keropok and batiks to earn extra money for her children.

His father physically abused his mother, who continued to stay with him despite the children asking her to leave her husband.

He took his ticket out as soon as he could. He went to boarding school and later earned a scholarship to study medicine in England. Through sheer hard work and a strong will, he became a specialist.

More than anything else I learned that we are all only human; The Majors, the heart surgeons, the doctors, the politicians, the songstress, the ambassadors. It may be obvious to others perhaps, but it all drove home for me this time after my conversations with them.

We are all in search of the same thing. Happiness, family and means to pay off our bills and mortgages. We all have the same struggles in life. We all have our own life lessons to learn, and we can all attain everything that we dream for, as long as we believe in ourselves and we work hard to achieve our dreams and goals.

The roads may be different, but the journeys are similar.

Thank you for giving me this insight.