I rushed to Raffles Hotel to attend a luncheon with a dear friend of mine who was visiting Singapore after almost five years. All dressed up and late as usual, I rushed to the posh lobby of the hotel and literally ran towards the lift lobby passed my way through a number of tourists who I wondered may be thinking that the interior of the hotel lobby is the most interesting sight in Singapore.
20 metres away and a marathon dash later I finally reached my destination with a quizzical look from some of the patrons and staff. Wanting to look as compose as possible I could only manage a smile, pressed the lift button and looked intently at the floor numbers as it went up and down.
Not long after another lady came by and stood beside me. She then pressed the lift button again beside it being lighted. Hmmmmm okey, I have already done that I thought to myself. The lift numbers changed slowly, creeping slowly down to the lobby. Apparently it seems that the lift decides to make it a policy for itself to stop on every floor and open its door to see whether there is any person. The journey that it took to reach the lobby seems like an eternity.
Feeling the same exasperation as I do in waiting for the lift, she pressed the lift button again, this time harder. If the button on the lift had not been made out of aluminum I am certain that it would undoubtedly left an indentation on it. Her faced changed to that of sheer disgust as she looked at the lift numbers crawling and creeping to the ground floor. She pressed harder, this time in repetition and with an obvious swearing escaping from her mouth. As the carriage finally arrives and opens it doors, she was the first to rush in into the lift. I bet if there is a lift attendant inside the lift she would have given him the disgusted looked plus a scolding or two.
When the elevator finally arrives the lady quickly 'hurrumph' herself into the carriage with an obvious disgust, pressed her destination and stood at one end of the carriage seemingly trying very hard to pretend that I was never present at all. Now I am being disgusted. She acts as if the whole elevator shafts revolves around her. Gritting my teeth, holding my breath, I intend to make her stay in the elevator as much as a living hell as I could. And as if the elevator was in total agreement with me a group of obvious tourist came rushing for the lifts, a couple, their four children and an elderly lady with her maid. The couple entered the lift followed with the children, in obvious delight, shouting laughing and jumping around in total defiance of their parents plea to quieten down. Their mother's embarrassing look is nothing in comparison to the look that I am seeing from the lady at the far end.
Seeing that it is obvious that the couple's elderly mother is no olympic medallist and is no hurry to enter the lift, the gentleman suggested to her wife to proceed up first whist he take the second ride. I with full conviction insisted that we will wait and pressed the 'door open' button with my dear life. The walked to the elevator door was taking an eternity and I could swear that every step that she takes the whole world 'wizzed' passed in fast motion. But the sight of the lady in total disgust by my gut to hold the lift door is priceless coupled by the harrowing shout and laughter of their children.
I supposed our fast paced life in pursuit of wealth and success had eliminate our ability to exercise the social graciousness and empathy towards others. We are so 'hard up' with time and commitment that we are no able to appreciate life and all the wonders that it has to offer. So the next time that you are taking the elevator up take time to look all the people taking the elevator with you and stop pressing the button more than once.
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