Satjadham presents:

		As a Lao, what is the meaning of life?

	What is life? I ask myself: is it like the prototype of one of my 
friend. Yeah, it should be. Why not? He is a successful medical doctor. He 
has an income of 6 digits. Still, he wants more. He dreams of living in a 
mansion, driving a Roll-Royce and livinga lifestyle of the rich and famous.

	Or is it like my another friend who goes to Muang Lao 
exhausting herself for the betterment of the villagers? Almost 5 years have 
passed, she is still there frustrating with the way thing is going. Living 
like a poor though coming from a middle-class family, she wastes her youth 
like an idiot though highly-educated. Is this life?

	I don't know. If possible, virtually everyone wants to live an 
affluent life. Who wants to live days in days out worrying about what we are 
going to eat, where we are to stay and how we are going to survive in the cut-
throat markey economy. At the same time, we want our lives to be meaningful 
with a conscience that what we do is not jut for ourselves, but also for 
others who are less fortunate than us  materially and intellectually.

	Now, it comes to a tough part. As everyone is entitled to only 24 
hours, every single hour counts. Do we spend it for the sake of others? That 
means that we negate our growth in wealth and success for that everyone hour 
spent. Or do we spend it for the betterment of ourselves, making sure that a 
greater wealth and success won't slip through our fingers?

	It is hard to answer. As an individual, it is very easy to pick one 
or the other. But as a group, we don't have that kind of luxury. What 
misfortune befalls on one Lao affects the psyches of all Lao. Yes, we could 
live in mansion with a lifestyle of the rich and famous, but we are 
not Lao anymore. To me, what is defined as a true Lao is not 
what we are born into, but the ability and willingness to share the joy and 
sorrow of the other Lao, rich and poor alike.

	Now, if you ask me: "What is the meaning of life, as a Lao?" 
I would say that it is the "Helping one another out." We all know too well 
that there are too many Lao kids finishing High School don't go on to college. 
Those who do, many don't graduate. There is also a big number of 
Lao families on welfare - no hope, no future. Besides, 
those who are in the work force earn a petty wage. Aren't these enough to 
trouble our consciences as to go on living just for ourselves?

	I know that it is hard to rectify the situation. First, most of us 
are not that rich (6-7 digit income) to effectively channel our wealth 
for the common benefit of the other Lao. Second, we are in no position to 
change things the way we envision. The society that we live in is 
too complex to tackle certain issues separately. And lastly, we 
as a people, lack a sense of urgency that propels us to act 
with a passionate commitment. 

	What I want to say is that there are a lot of obstacles standing in 
front of us, but it is in no way beyond our capabilities. If we only examine 
ourselves and ask some hard questions, then we will come to a critical point 
where every little step we take, 
every puff of air we breathe in and out are meaningful. When it is time for 
us to leave this world, we will be gratified that we have done everything in 
our power not only for the betterment of ourselves but also for the betterment 
of what is constituted of us - generations of Lao people, past, present 
and future.

	If you have any comments, please send them to <laolit@monash.cc.edu.au>
or post them at SCL. Thanks!

	Hak phaang,
	Kongkeo Saycocie
	email: ksaycoci@nermal.santarosa.edu
	http://www.santarosa.edu/~ksaycoci/kongkeo.html 
	http://www.sonic.net/~kongkeo/poem.html