On Death And Writing and Lee Kuan Yew
A couple of people have asked where I’ve been, and this is the story. It’s about writing, and death, and the fact that I now have two children attending school at the same time, giving me two hours’ solitude on various mornings. Let’s start at the last and work backwards from there.
In late 2014 I thought: next year when the kids are both at school I’ll have more time for blogging, and in preparation for this I stuffed my draft folder full of all the post ideas I was planning to unleash on you in January. But as January drew nearer, I realised the ideas weren’t good enough by themselves for me any more – I thought, now I have time, I can do it much better. I can join a local writing group and really sit down and work out my stuff.
So I did. And I added other things, too. And now my extra blogging time is chock full trying to do the eleventy-one things I haven’t had time for over the last six/seven years – and I’m still not getting half of what I want done.
On Monday Singapore lost Lee Kuan Yew. It wasn’t entirely unexpected – he was 91 years old and has been seriously ill since February. Within a few hours, a special edition of the paper had hit the streets, and I was caught in the flurry of people rushing to claim their copy as I arrived at the MRT station at the end of my two hours of Monday morning solitude.
They called him the “architect of modern Singapore”. They said he was a “bare-knuckle politician”, a “straight-shooter”, a “visionary”. I wished I could write like that.
These last two days, on the streets of Singapore, things have been a little more quiet, just a touch more reflective. Shopping malls have cancelled publicity campaigns, zumba teachers are asking their students to wear black to class. There is still shopping. There is still dancing. There are still people getting on with things, and it’s hard to believe Lee Kuan Yew would have wanted it any other way.
I read through pages and pages on his policies and the controversies surrounding them, the reports and the commentary and quotes which came from the man himself. Many have argued about Singapore’s “firm-handed” government, and the rolling of time will ensure that there is always and forever something to be argued about.
But for those with neither the time nor the inclination, who just want to pause a moment to remember Singapore’s first Prime Minister before getting on with the work of daily life which is, in the end, the stuff a nation is made of and what it is for, you might go no further than this front page quote from the man himself:
As for me, I have done what I had wanted to do, to the best of my ability. I am satisfied.
I want to learn to choose words so well. I think perhaps it’s best if I spend my time trying.
Hello. Just checking in because I haven’t heard from you a awhile. Hope all is well and come back! xo
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All is well – busy busy! You’re so sweet for checking in. What’s been going on your way?
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Just wanted to say: I have been missing you in my Reader and am anticipating your return. 🙂
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Hi Elle! Lovely of you to say. I have had a busy 2015 and getting busier soon – other projects (back to work stuff). How are you going?
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Hi Bronwyn, I’m good, thanks a mill. Got a few things on the go that are taking time from my precious blog, but I hope to find sometime now the kids have started 2nd trimester. I hope all the back to work projects are going well. Take care. 🙂
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Lee Kuan Yew was the subject of an art project in my last year of primary school. I think I chose him because I found a great picture of him and he embodied so much of what I wanted to be – courageous with a seemingly unwavering self belief. Odd for a child in central Queensland.
I’m telling people all the time how I feel busier than ever with both kids in school full time. Plus now they have taken up several extra-curricular activities. Like salt in a wound. I used to make the call about what we did and when, now I fly around trying to get everything done without them because when we are together they really don’t have the energy for such tiresome activities like groceries. Sometimes it can’t be helped, but I like to give them some time to just play each day, because after all, they are still children.
I love your writing, so please never feel disheartened. Please, please continue to write, even if it’s not this blog. I’m currently going through a phase of feeling like talentless hack with no original ideas. Hopefully it will pass soon, because it’s really annoying for the people around me to watch me sulking. (;
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I know that feeling! Please don’t sulk (or skin me for taking so long to reply to you).
Lee Kuan Yew would not have been my first guess if we were discussing primary school art projects. Definitely a girl with wider vistas than her small town back yard!
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I love the idea of having time to be more reflective, and of creating more thoughtful work. Your own writing has always seemed a cut and above most of the other blogs out there. I’m sure whatever you are working on behind the scenes will be amazing.
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Thanks, you flatter me!
We’ll see if all the prancing around here every pays off 🙂 . At least I am starting to feel a bit more focussed again. The young child fog finally starting to lift?
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I am anticipating what you would have written for this visionary man. Love your writing. Indeed his words are to be lived on for the longest time. So many great quotes from one man.
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Truly many great quotes. Sorry for the late replies here. I remember reading your own tribute back in April – very moving. Singaporeans in general showed how touched they were by him.
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Very glad for the update. I have been worried about you. Keep us posted.
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Don’t worry about me! Just busy in the background, is all.
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Good to see you back Bronwyn. I have no little children to attend to and I still struggle to balance my time 🙂
It will be interesting to watch how Singapore moves forward without Lee Kuan Yew. His legacy should see them through for many years to come. That quote truly sums up his life. Beautiful tribute.
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Many are awaiting the future of Singapore with anticipation. He put a lot of work into planning his succession, though, so I expect things will indeed move smoothly for some time.
Nice to be dropping back briefly – sorry for the late reply!
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It’s funny, shameful, and tasteless how our own country’s vice president, who is embroiled in countless graft and corruption charges, calls himself the Lee Kuan Yew of Makati City, our country’s financial capital.
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Graft and corruption – never a great way to run your political life. I suppose it’s a great compliment to LKY that other politicians want to be seen to be like him, though.
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I hear you on the prioritizing time. It’s amazing how quickly two hours can get filled up. I always have a to do list a mile long for the weekends, and only a tiny portion ever gets done. Writing, my activity for me, always seems to get pushed to the bottom. Hope you find time son because I love to read your posts. Good luck!
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Thanks, yes – obviously a common feeling! It’s so easy for something like this to get pushed aside. I’ll see what I can do with my time going forward.
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Bronwyn what a lovely surprise to find you here. Sending big hugs and wishes for lots of time for you. 🙂
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Thanks Sue – I’ve missed being here and of course I’ve missed being on everyone else’s blogs, too. I’ve dropped through briefly a couple of times but I’m really not getting time for it all of a sudden. It’s a shame, and I might find a better balance going forward, but only so many hours in one day…
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You have to do what fits in your world Bronwyn. Life is too short to be stressed by hobbies. I hope we will keep in touch. 🙂
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Well I think you’re still on my Facebook if I’m not wrong so at the very least I’ll see what you’re up to there! I do enjoy reading about your exploits.
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Yes I have spied you there Bronwyn. Hope everything worked out with the job scene.
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In Finnish this phase of life is called the “years of rush hour”, sounds like you are feeling it 🙂 hope you can still enjoy at least some of it!
Wow, 91 years is quite impressive. Great quote at the end too!
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Years of rush hour – well put!
Yes, 91 years old and doing well towards the end, too. We should all be so lucky, and so willing to work with what we’ve got!
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It will be very interesting to see where Singapore goes next. –Curt
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Yes, I think that’s going to be a big topic of discussion in the coming months. In many ways, of course, LKY has taken that question into account – he’s put a lot of preparation in for his eventual departure, so I don’t expect much will change for a while, but we’ll see.
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Great to see you back! Finding time for everything is a never-ending journey, and like money, there never seems to be enough. I hope that when my time comes and I take my last breath, people will be able to say that I gave my time and my love to the things that mattered most, and I believe you’re doing just that! ❤
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Definitely a constant struggle to prioritise – and that’s just for the household, never mind a whole nation! But it’s a worthwhile thing to get as right as possible. Then the missteps I suppose you just have to let go.
Good luck finding enough time and working out what matters most!
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The bit about ‘having more time now the kids are at school’ made me smile. I don’t think I’ve met a mother yet that has found that worked for them and I’m talking across the generations here. If I had a dollar for every time I’ve heard the lament I’d be a millionaire so, take heart, it’s not you. It’s just life.
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Maybe I should prioritise finding a way to make a dollar for each person who says that??
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Well said B! I often wonder what others will say about me when I’m gone… maybe I should start thinking of a quote that will explain my life… that seems pretty daunting though. Well, hopefully I will have plenty of time to figure it out.
Great post!
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Amen to that last part – hopefully plenty, plenty of time.
Summing everything up in a quote like that must have been a difficult task for the editors.
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I think I am a bit too wordy… Maybe I could sum it up in a paragraph long run on sentence? 🙂
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Still a big task, I think 🙂
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Lovely tribute Bronwyn. I must say that I am curious about your interest in Lee Kuan Yew’s policies to the point where you are researching them. Do you feel that he has addressed humanity’s reality sufficiently that there are answers in his policies? Are you think of starting your own city state? (ha! – a little [very little] humour there) What is your opinion of his policies – other than they obviously led to his fulfillment? Is it, in fact, that fulfillment that you seek by the interest? Just askin’.
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Hi Paul – as always willing to ask the big questions. 🙂
“Researching” is a heavy word for what I’ve been doing. There’s been a lot of news floating past and I’ve read some of it.
I’m not thinking of starting my own city state 🙂
His policies were/are a little paternalistic for my tastes, but one of the recurring themes in his politics was this idea of using what’s effective in the time and place in question – so he didn’t claim that his system was good for everywhere, nor vice versa. I like this contextualising of politics.
And while it was definitely (and by his own admission) paternalistic, he tried hard to be the right kind of “father figure”. He went to some lengths to elevate the use of listening and communication over and above (and in defiance of some of the stereotypical commentary on Singapore) rewards and punishments.
There was a quote in this paper where he talks about his belief that it’s more important to have good people in government than the right system of government. I guess my overall view can be summed up by focussing on that one. I find the idea to be simultaneously dangerous and true. You have to admit it seems to have been effective this far… We’ll see how things unfold from here.
Interesting to think about. Any views to add back?
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Absolutely, I agree that it is better to have good people than good policies. And focussing on what works as opposed to large policy brush strokes is perfect. After all, even in our own lives we often adopt behaviour that works simply because it works without understanding why, I am sure that as a vet, you see that regularly.
Personally I think that in a perfect world, a benevolent dictator is the best form of government – the problem being, of course, that there really is no such a thing as power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
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Well yes – that’s always the danger! And particularly, I think, at those times when the torch needs to be passed down. Finding one good leader is hard enough. Finding an indefinite succession of them…? Other models have their flaws but the potential for catastrophe is perhaps more comfortably lower.
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What a beautiful piece Bronwyn. And what a coincidence that I am currently going through just about the same thing. Both kids are now in school (if you count 3 hours, 3 days a week for the little one) and thought that when this day came, boy, I would do loads of things, and more importantly loads of writing. I’ve got myself a list of now useless ideas. And apparently absolutely no time.
I have also found myself thinking of the great Lee Kuan Yew and his life’s great work. How a man can accomplish so much in only a lifetime is an incredible mystery to me. I love the quote you chose as it shows that he not only manged to inspire (and will continue to do so) through his work, but also with his words.
For what it’s worth, as one of your readers, I can tell you that your words have, on more than one occasion, stayed with me.
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We are in synch! It’s not just me, then. 🙂
I would love to have his time management skills, that’s for sure, not to mention his time on earth! 91 is a pretty great age and he was able to use more of his years than many. I’m sure he’ll continue to inspire many and his ideas will influence Singapore for an awfully long time to come.
Thanks for the compliment on my words 🙂
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What a great man! One of the top heroes of our time.
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Definitely someone to be respected.
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