" There is nothing more annoying than being told 'Hello' and then being ignored. " - David Alan Bates

" Love is but a selfish desire to impose your feelings onto someone else. " - David Alan Bates

" Murder is just another way of saying that you care enough to bother. " - David Alan Bates

" Like a painting, it is the minor details that makes life all the more vibrant. " - David Alan Bates

The Story

I just heard a magnificent story of how the relationship between a mother and a daughter was smoothened out. Parents often have a hard time accepting their children for who they are, they either want the unachievable best for them or expect them to be the unachievable best. Very often parents (bless them) do not realise the little things that their children do to make them happy. All they see are the late night parties, the flaws, the idiots they date and everything else. But today I witnessed how a parent finally understood how much her daughter has actually done to make the mother happy.

The mother finally realised that while her child is not always at home and not always the person she wishes her to be... there are numerous little things which her child has done for nobody elses but her mothers sake. Simple things like going home more often for dinner or just keeping silent company in front of the TV, things that her mother never realised and took for granted.

To the mom, suddenly her daughter seems like such a perfect child and for the daugther, all her efforts are suddenly made more worth while.

Forget the big picture, it is often the little brush strokes that bring a painting to life.

" What separates man from animals is not that man has a conscience, but his or her ability to disregard it. " - David Alan Bates

The Story:
I came up with this quote when I was wondering if I should do something so ultimately despicable that it would brand me as indecent of a human being as can be. I exaggerate, but I'm going through with it anyway.

" Luxury is but the expenditure of energy on unnecessary endeavours. " - David Alan Bates

The Story
I once spent a weekend at one of the highest end serviced apartments in Singapore. Each unit had a maid who tidied up everyday, food was available from breakfast right up to dinner (for free) and on top of that, each unit came with it's own daily replemished basket of fruits. Best of all, you were greeted by name with a smile and a hello everytime you walked through the lobby. If you have ever watched some American movies where the upper echelons stayed in luxurious skyscraping towers... this was its equivalent.

But all through that weekend I realised how much effort it takes to be luxurious. Floors did not need to be swept for the sake of sweeping, butter did not have to have a logo stamped on it, napkins did not have to be works of art and nobody really needs an 'elevator operator'.

" Love is selfless, yet more than one war has been the result of it. " - David Alan Bates