I switched over to the President's Star Charity show earlier this evening, and what appeared on the screen was the guy who was my classmate throughout the four years of high school.

The dimpled smile was still there. But it has dimmed, as surely had his hopes and dreams.

It tugs my heart to remember the active, cheeky guy that was. Especially when they expounded that he was a representative of the Handicaps Association. The twists of fate, just from one silly night.

But I'm proud of the strong, resilient man he has become. I sincerely hope he would soon find a company to publish his inspiring memoir, that he had painstakingly typed using a specially created keyboard from his alma-mater.

I remembered all the classmates that rallied around his comatose state on Boxing Day 1998. All our prayers from our various faiths, the heartbreaking bedside vigil even though most of us had essentially lost touch post-Os.

My high school mates are amongst the oldest friends in my life. And as our school motto goes "Education For Life", these are also the folks I'd like to have for life.

For better and for worse.

We might not have emerged the crème de la crop, but I think the teachers did just fine by us to prepare us for life. The School of Hard Knocks.

I recently touched base with a schoolmate I wasn't particularly close to, but who attended 1st-3-mths with me before we chose separate educational paths. I found that she had to quit poly when her dad passed away suddenly. As the eldest, she had to take up the role of sole breadwinner to her young siblings as well as bedridden mum.

She told me that she envied my life - that I managed to get that coveted scroll, and the carefree life of travelling wherever, whenever. I told her that she led a fuller and more blessed life. It is I who is in awe of her and what she has achieved in life.

When we left high school at sweet sixteen, life was indeed sweet. I managed to go through to JC. As long as I did not have to take up Physics again, I was happy. I just needed to clear the As, get to university, then everything would be smooth-sailing then on. Whatever beyond, was fuzzy.

Ten years on so much has changed. And yet some things remain the same. I'm cruising on, but the horizon seems hazy...

PS: Pledges for the President's Star Charity will end at midnight on 6 October 2007. To donate, call: 1900-112-8821 ($5), 1900-112-8822 ($20), 1900-112-8823 ($100).