Assumptions

I decided to talk about assumptions tonight.

This afternoon when I went out to lunch, I got six missed calls on my handphone. One number. It was my mentee. I called back, sent an sms and then called again in the evening. I started to get scared. She didn't pick up the phone.

I'll call tomorrow again.

This evening when I was taking the escalator down to the train station, I saw this man on a wheelchair. I looked at him once, slowed my steps, walked ahead and then turned back to look at him again. He looked like he wanted to go down to the train station. He looked like he was waiting for the crowd to go down the escalator before he tried to move down. I stepped onto the escalator and then looked back. I felt guilty and wanted to go back up to help him. But I didn't. As I was walking to the station control, I looked back again. I flashed my card and then realised that there wasn't a lift at Tanjong Pagar station.

We assume too much. I assumed there was something wrong when my mentee called. I assumed that the man had a way to go down to the station control. I assumed that he didn't want to help and by offering to help, he would feel offended. I assumed that I was too weak physically to help move a man.

I only assumed. I was negative. I was afraid. I wasn't like this in the past.

I'll be a better person.