Thud!

If you've been reading my posts lately, you'd know I've been concerned about the littering problem around my abode. I wrote in to the 'authorities' and today, a different 'authority' telephoned me to say, my complaint had been referred to them and this caller had been observing all morning and nothing had been thrown out of any units. The area was clean! Wait, then the sentence I most fear (and expect).....'We will continue to look into the matter. We will refer back to the XXXXX (previous authority). OK? Ah, OK?'. The guy was in a hurry to hang up.

No matter. I had expected such a response. But I had to write in anyway. My kids think I will be taken away by the 'authorities' one day for being 'kaypoh'. They think I'm trying to be the estate 'police'. Well, I pointed out that they were both school prefects (or councillors as they are known as today) so I asked them where they think they got their genes from since both their parents were prefects in their heyday too? Of course, they rolled their eyes.

Seriously, I'm just trying to instill in them that there is nothing wrong bringing up issues which may help the situation. I definitely do not advocate banging my fist on the table just because. I just think we all have some say in how things can be better done. It's way better than talking behind a person's back or complaining behind the authority's back.
I may be a complain queen but not stupid.
I may be all woman but not a feminist.
I may be loud but not for no good reason.
I do love my country and appreciate what the men in white have done for me
and I prefer to provide positive criticism rather than let any disgruntledness lead me to cross the 'wrong' box on that crucial piece of paper.
So there.

What brought up my kids' comments that I was the estate's 'police' was an incident that happened two days ago.......something landed on the ground just beside the apartment block opposite ours. It's too morbid for details but suffice to say, it was a living thing and not an animal.
After ALL the vans and authorities had left, the splatter of oozing gore was left on the floor. No one was there to ensure it was cleaned up immediately. No barricade. Anyone could have stepped on that. Students were coming home, office workers were coming home.

What did I do? Of course, by now, you would know. I picked up the phone and dialled triple 'X' lah. I told them all their guys had left and no one had cordoned off the area. I stood and waited and glued my eyes on the spot (even though I was a little freaked out) before a team arrived about half an hour later.
I was not an anonymous caller.
I gave my name.
I gave my number.
What did I do wrong that will lead to me being taken away by the 'authorities'? Nothing.

Sigh. Still, for all my gunghoness, I dare not go against them too much and I dare not even spell out who they are in this post! Even if I didn't go anything wrong, I 'dun one' to go to jail leh! So, I continue to write in code (a.k.a XXXXX)! Anyway, any islander (trueblue homegrown or imported alike) who's lived here long enough will understand what I mean.

It's a fine line to walk, standing up for what one believes in and not crossing the line. It's something like advocating thinking out of the box but ensuring your thoughts remain within the circle.
It's a lifeskill and I'm still learning. That's what I'm trying to instill in my kids.