Double standards

In life, there has always been times when we wish that we had been somebody, all because we have been 'denied' some privilige or acknowledgement which we feel are due to us.

It happens and takes place everywhere, in every level of society, which sometimes frustrates and angers us. It just doesn't happen in offices, business premises, but all over the place, even at our local pasar malam. Imagine our displeasure if we've been waiting in line for some 5 minutes for our favorite popiah, along came this lady, who goes straight to the front of the line, and simply asks the guy to pack up some for her. Turns out, she's a friend of the popiah guy! Leaving with a smirk, the rest in line simply stared in disbelief at this special treatment she received, but then, even though irked by the incident, my other fellow Malaysians still continued to wait in line for the scrumptious 'rolls of vegetable-wrapped-in-crepes'. I, for one, would immediately stalk off in search of other delicacies. For me, in order to get the message across, you have to do something. But, sad to say, most people are not that bothered to do anything about it. And, that is the major reason why these kinds of things are prevailing in our society.

Like I said, it happens all over, in every nook and corner of our beloved nation, from the 'well-known' simply picking up the phone to get a place for their off-spring in a preferred public institution, to government officers giving the leeway to their relatives or friends, to teachers giving the double standard treatment to their students.

As a teacher myself, there have been times when I commit the act myself. Well, not because I like it, or that it's a daily dose in my classes, but there were times when I was resigned to the fact that there are students who are not that interested in learning the language. Thus, I would focus on the interested ones, and in the process, would be committing the act of dishing out preferential treatment to my 'pets'. Somehow, over the years, I have somewhat overcome this 'unbecoming' trait, and have learned to accept all the kids, warts and all, so that everyone would feel that I care for them. I care for everyone, the competent or the weak ones; the alert or sleepy ones; the talkative (like Asyraf, Bakri, Adam, Hafizree, Jeremy, Farid n Jason) to the quiet ones like Maslianeh, Iba, Fahmi n Tazul; for I believe that I everyone has potential.

So, darling kids, what say you???