Daily Lessons from Life 30 April 2010 - Taiwan woman 'emrrassed' to enter Time influential list

"Taiwan woman 'embarrassed' to enter Time influential list - Fri, Apr 30, 2010 AFP

TAIPEI, April 30, 2010 (AFP) - A Taiwanese vegetable vendor and philanthropist said Friday she was 'embarrassed' to be named one of the world's 100 most influential people by the prestigious US magazine Time.

Chen Shu-chu, 59, won the accolade for donating about 10 million Taiwan dollars (S$437,000) from her hard-earned fortune, accumulated selling vegetables in a market in southern Taitung county.

'What is Time (magazine)? I don't know about it. It's embarrassing but thank you all for your concerns,' she told the Central News Agency.

Ang LEE, the award-winning director, wrote that it is the simple and matter of fact way that she donated to a school and an orphanage in the past 17 years that's remarkable!" "

A lovely story indeed. How sweet and how innocently she quizzed: "What is this Time Magazine?"

Lessons for me are:

1. may more ordinary people doing extraordinary things be recognized by public;

2. may more such people remain non-plus about the buzz created by such a recognition like Ms Chen did. It will NOT be easy as fame sometimes change a person's life for the worst! Though the optimists will say such recognition will spur the person to continue, and others to aspire, to do these extraordinary things/work!;

3. may Singapore has an increasing number of such 'extraordinarily ordinary' people rather than a constant stream of news on we have more GDP growth, our property prices have gone up by X% but is still affordable, etc...

Long live the spirit of Ms Chen. May I continue to do my tiny bit in contributing to charity annually via the Marathon jog/walk fund raising till I am 60, and many more years, health permit!!