A Helping Hand
7 July 2021
A student spent nearly an hour helping an elderly cardboard collector push her trolley across several roads and void decks to a lorry, loading the boxes for her, and walking her home — moved to act by the thought of his own grandmother and the hope that others would do the same for her.
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Many of us are often too involved in our own lives to notice what is happening around us. However, this was not true in the case of Tan Wei Bin from Vanda 2, whose thoughtful act caught the attention of two teachers.
On the evening of the 1st of July 2021, Orchid Park Secondary School’s Tan Wei Bin, who was on his way home, caught sight of an elderly lady struggling to move a trolley stacked with a mountain of cardboard boxes. Without a moment’s hesitation, Wei Bin approached the elderly lady to lend a helping hand.
Even though the lady declined Wei Bin’s offer at first, she eventually accepted his help. Wei Bin then followed the lady’s instructions and moved the cardboard laden trolley across several roads and multiple void decks towards a lorry so that the cardboards could be placed there. Wei Bin even helped the elderly lady by loading the cardboard boxes onto the lorry and then continued to push the trolley while he walked the lady home. It is truly admirable that he was more than willing to spend nearly an hour helping a stranger.
When asked about why he had felt compelled to help in the first place, Wei Bin replied that he had thought of his grandmother when he decided to assist the elderly lady. He hoped that someone would extend a hand to his grandmother if she were ever in need, the same way he had to someone else in need.
Also, while walking the elderly lady home the journey, Wei Bin and the lady engaged themselves in conversations that triggered a series of thoughts in the former. One of which was, how can we take things for granted when others struggle for the same things? Wei Bin was disheartened to find out that the lady, despite her advanced age, was collecting boxes to earn enough to buy fish and meat for her meals. However, so many of us take for granted the many things our parents give us.
Speaking with Wei Bin was enlightening, and it lit a flame of inspiration within me. He truly believes that all of us should help those around us without expecting anything in return. And that we should help because we can.
Written by: Jazel Low (Vanda 6, 2021)