HALFWAY

One of my teachers told me once, that when you hesitate whether to continue your journey or U-turn to the beginning, that’s halfway as your destination is closer to you.

Halfway is very important to success because most people give up their ambition at that point when they suffer the most difficult challenges and lose their energy. 

Let me tell you a story to elucidate how true it is. 

When I arrived at Cameron Highland, it was a high season bustling with tourists. We were not able to find private cars as well as all group tours were fully booked. As our second-day plan was to visit the tea garden, transportation issues made us distressed. I checked with local people about the location and the distance from the town; they said it took 35 min and we could walk slowly to reach BOH tea garden. Therefore, we decided to go on foot enthusiastically. 

Maybe it’s true for some residents, or maybe that men pranked us.

It took about 15 min from the hotel to the foothill, and we noticed that 35 min was not possible as they said. However, our energy was still active under the morning sun imagining the greenery landscape located somewhere around on the top of the hill. 

A huge signboard with an orange colour at the foothill reminded us that the tea garden was 3.5km (2 miles) away. When we looked up at the hill, we found that it was not a steep road and the mountain was also not very high. We thought we could overcome it easily, but soon, what we expected was totally wrong. 

You see! Everybody always thinks that everything is very easy to do at the beginning judging by appearances.

The road was quite good but there were too many zigzags. We felt scared coming and going off tour vehicles at every unforeseen corner. It was a thrill because we walked between the mountain’s mural and the chasm. When we walked the mural side, we had to worry about buses or cars from the opposite side at the unforeseen zigzags. On the other hand, it was too scary to walk at the side of the chasm.

A few moments later, the road became wider fencing with a white wooden structure. We saw breathtaking scenery from that point. A greenish mountain range and the verdant tea plantation removed all of our anxiety, fear and tiredness, and we thought that it was our destination.

 We took pictures happily for a while before we knew realistic. 

Unfortunately, it was not the final point, and just a descending slope and I didn’t know how far from there. We started to notice that we were travelling to another mountain which was not visible from the start of our journey. 

Again, we felt exhausted when we knew the real problem. Walking downwards, I looked at the cars moving at the lower level. The mountain was very strange; when we were at the foothill, it looked not too high, but when we were at the top, it was so deep.  The road became narrowed down until only a few spaces for the sidewalk left. We sweated with full of worries. 

I started thinking continuously like,

“It’s too dangerous. I don’t think we pass over this path. I shouldn’t go there. I scare. I dare not to walk. I don’t want to go anymore. I want to stop it. Even if we don’t know how far left, it’s better to go back hotel. How should I do?”   

Walking down bewilderingly, I suddenly remember my teacher’s words. 

“Oh yes! Perhaps it’s a halfway.”

 

In fact, I’m sure that everybody who moves forward hopefully to their big dreams may face this hesitation sometime. Feeling like walking on the treadmill, we seem not moving a single inch along our journey. 

When will our dream come true? 

Is it correct to choose this way?  

Should I stop my effort? 

Does perseverance still work to achieve our goal?

Maybe this dream is not for me? Don’t I deserve it? 

Questioning to ourselves, we are quite ready to give up. Therefore, this point is crucial for everyone to make the right decision. Of course, it’s halfway through your journey.

 

Let me continue my story. 

While I was thinking of returning, one of my friends found a tiny escape from our stressful moments; just went down into tea plants on the brae. Although the road became narrow, there was no chasm beside it as it became a brae with rows of tea plants.

I had never seen the tea plants as close as now even though there are many tea plantations in our country as well. As soon as I touched the leaves, the spark of happiness jumped out even forgot about the return.   

Sometimes, life is funny. It doesn’t allow you to stop even if you are willing to do. 

“Anyway, let’s finish our journey. We have enough strength reaching here, why don’t we catch our goal”

“Come on, Walk slowly”

We encouraged each other.

It’s another point I want to tell you. 

In our lives, whenever we feel down or lost, we need someone who embraces and motivates us. 

Friends!!! Yes, true friends who always stand by us are crucial in our lives.   

Do you believe in fate?

At a narrow part of the road, multiple cars got stuck and couldn't adjust for two-way traffic. Luckily, we didn't have to worry about being stuck and were able to move freely, while the other drivers were disappointed that they couldn't move as they wished.

Think about our beginning story, we felt unlucky and meanwhile, they may be satisfied with getting easy transports. But now, they watched us who passed through their cars like admiring our activity.

Yes, I would say that fate works this way. Fate is never stable for anyone and it likes to fluctuate in each one’s life. We used to call it “wax and wane”. 

After one and a half hours, we reached our destination. 

We sat down at the peak and watched the stunning view.

Finally, we did it! 

I asked myself many questions again. 

“Now, what do you get after passing over it?” 

“Are you sure you are satisfied? Happy?”

“Is it as gorgeous as you expected?”

I’m delighted to answer my own question in my mind. 

Before that, I believed that going towards goals was to get something but now I know we are not expecting something special from that point. Maybe or maybe not there is glorious. We don’t care about it. We just want to achieve. That’s our victory. 

However, it is very sure that we will possess more confidence, self-respect, self-esteem, and other mental qualities.

Our life journey is considered to be not too far. If you don’t give up halfway, you definitely get to your dream on time.

Please make sure that our environment is not destroyed by our actions.

-May Thoon Khit-