Have I missed out?
Monday morning, Berlin 7:40. The waste collection truck sweeps over the street in front of my door. The noise of a heavy car rolling over a fractional side road lets me pause for a moment. I look away from the blank pages of my master thesis and out of the window. The morning sunshine rays meet the eastern window front of the German Bundesnachrichtendienst (or in English: Federal Intelligence Service) as if they slided down a shute directly into the massive and untenanted building to form a slight smile on the rare tired and serious-looking construction workers’ faces. My look walks down one of the numerous stairways in that red-colored brick building and I ask myself where else the sun yet sends out her rays. Maybe also in Singapore? It’s always warm there says my memory and I recall my last trip to Asia in 2013. I pause for another moment and my thougths rush within milliseconds to my two friends in Singapore. Time flies. But whom am I telling this. Eventually everybody has noticed the time’s flexibility. Well, I dedicated many thoughts to my friends. Since last weekend they are now proud freshly-made parents of the cutest newborn Babyboy I have seen in a while. Being half chinese, half-serbian, born in Singapore, hale and hearty, he is as as cute as a newborn with these loveable eyes can be.
Another memory shortcut pops up with the feeling that we actually just danced together on the streets of Amsterdam, celebrating the Dutch queen’s birthday and being surrounded by the smell of Marihuana, beer and sweat and another thousands of cheery and dancing people. Yes, hello 2010. Today, they are both married, have decent jobs, are the happiest parents of a beautiful boy and I guess have everything sorted what people in this life phase do need. I am sending them my best and warmest wishes over the Indian Ocean.At the same time one lives through a short self-reflection, each time such a life-inspiring event occurs. Where did I make it since 2010? Have I missed out on things? I assume life is based on opportunity costs. Hypothesis: It may be possible that I am missing out on essential moments. But ultimately, it turns out not to be so crucial. I am excited for each of my friends milestones, be it a wedding or the challenging phase of becoming a responsible parent. After all, I reached an age level when the number of wedding invitation in my post box increases. When I open an invitation and read along the lines I hear my mother’s voice in my head: You are not getting any younger and soon you’ll be 30. When I was this age, you know… I was already married for a while and pregnant with you in my belly. One day my life phase will reach this point, just not now. It’s mesmerizing to see the people around growing mentally, settling down and enriching their lives with (literally) small details. Don’t worry mum. In this sense, wishing you a wonderful start into the week and upcoming days of parenthood.