i remember...

when i was really poor..

when i used to stand by the side of an KFC restaurant to breathe in their finger licking goodness cause i did not have enough to buy me a piece of chicken..and nobody else would.

when i used to work in a dinghy chinese take-away peeling away bags and bags of huge onions and cried my eyes out in the process, just to earn enough money for my winter clothing, ..cause i had no hand me downs.

i remember having to walk miles to that place just to save on the bus fare..and also because i could not afford a 2nd-hand bicycle.

i remember too, lugging my worldly possessions of one suitcase and two big paper bags on the streets, as i moved in search of cheaper lodgings again and again..like some crazy vagabond..cause i simply could not afford to pay..

and enduring the frosty cold of winter nights covered under a worn, tattered comforter and wearing layers of jumpers because i could only afford enough coins to keep the heater running for 2 hours a night.

and then i remember when times were a little bit better, i could enjoy the occasional supper and the pint of lager..but because i really remembered, i still worked hard taking in two jobs and doing 16-hour shifts..i still worked throughout all the weekends and the summer holidays, just to build up on contingencies, because i remembered..

and when times were really good enough, i would reward myself the occasional short holiday trip somewhere..but because i remembered, i had to make sure it was only occasional..

and then when i finally came home and eventually became kinda successful, i still remembered those old times, and i knew that if someone had extended a helping hand to me then, life might not have been so difficult, and that perhaps i need not have had to suffer so much. if someone had even thought of me in my darkest hours, i might have bruised a little less in the process..

and so because i remember those times, i will always extend my hand to those who need it, i will give every opportunity available to those who have the potential for it, and i will try my best to give a little bit of assistance whenever requested..because some times despite all our best efforts, a soothing hand may still calm the nerves, a caring word may make anxieties disappear and a simple act of kindness may just go a long long way...

i sure hope i won't ever forget..
and if you have a story like mine, i hope you will never forget too..