My Life History Repeats

Whether it is coincidence or otherwise, I am living the life of a retired civil servant with some sweet memories to be inscribed into my historical annal.

On my birthday the beginning of the life of a retired person, I celebrated at the house I bought when I was in service. Then on the same day I went to meet my mother and father.

Today (23 Dec 2010) I had an opportunity to go back to the place where I started my career life as a school teacher at SMK Kota Marudu, Sabah. I borrowed rented a Perodua Viva from one of the participant at just RM 50.00 for the trip because going by public transport will be too time consuming and I won’t have the time for that return trip since i have a plane to catch in the afternoon. For that odd 120 km drive I filled up RM 10.00 at Bakut Petronas Station and again another RM 10.00 at Shell Petrol Station (no choice) in Kota Marudu.

Even though just barely two hours at the town, it was a nostalgic memory and what more I went back to the now abandoned government quarters where I stayed and my eldest son and first daughter was born.  This happens in the first week of my new life. Not everybody can experience these nostalgic moment. What more for me I am staying in Kuala Lumpur and my career starts in a district in Sabah when going back will incur high cost on transportation. I consider myself lucky to achieve all these as if its a repeat of life.

This picture on the left is the government quarters that I stayed, get married and where my first two children's born.  

The opportunity to recall memories happens (on Allah’s will) when I came back to Kota Kinabalu to lecture on a topic under Sports Management and this is my first lecture after retiring. It is teaching and I start my career 34 years ago is also teaching. Being given this opportunity to lecture in Kota Kinabalu is, I consider a godsend opportunity. As Muslim I deeply believe that I can just plan but Allah permits. This lecture was at first scheduled a week before, that is the last week of my career life. Then it was postponed and it falls in the first week of my retirement. Its as if Allah want all this as a repeat of my experiences on different life, adult life and golden years life. Well, of course coming on assignment all my expanses are paid for and can consider a free trip. All the same as when I first on Sabah soil in 1974, was paid for by the government.

It was a worthy trip for me since I can recall my memories.