Fairness Is Like a Clutch
- Peter K F Cheung SBS
- Jan 23, 2021
- 2 min read
FADE IN.
Act 1
INT. SLEEPING ROOM - 5.am
PETER wakes up.
PETER (V.O.): Well, I've slept better than yesterday. Let me get up as if I had to prepare for my court appearance.
INT. STUDY - 6.am
An iPad Mini in hand, Peter is watching video clips on dancing.
PETER (V.O.): I bought this iPad Mini 3 in late 2014. I've used it so much that its home key became out of order in early 2019.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): And I bought an iPad Mini 5 in March 2019. I was keen to capture cherry blossoms every Spring.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Now, I've the urge to fix anything if they're still fixable.
Peter looks out of the window.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Let me go running and dancing in the Park first.
Act 2
INT. SLEEPING ROOM - AFTERNOON
Background Latin music. Peter is staring at his phone screen.
PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): Here's a Quora answer request: What does it mean to say that life is not fair? What does "fair" look like?
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): The first part isn't deep. But the second part isn't easy.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I believe it's Nature's way to sustain life' s force at the expense of instances that aren't quite fit.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): We aren't born equal.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): To survive, we've to capture and deliver value.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): And the reward isn't measured by a person's input or output. It's based on the objective outcome.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Even when one has tried his or her best, that isn't good enough. They've to achieve what is socially required.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): While institutions and our own efforts can address the imbalance somewhat, we can't reinvent Nature.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Life is inherently unfair.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): We've to accept the fact.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): That we can be born to this world is already a privilege. It's unfair to the unborn.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): As to what does "fair" look like? I think fairness is like a clutch.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Once we've life, we've to embrace it. It's like pressing a car clutch to engage with the engine. We wear out, just like the clutch.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Fair wear and tear are expected and aren't unexpected.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): We can't have the cake and eat it. Isn't that "fair"?
Recalling.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): My sports car's clutch wore out several years ago, having done its job for over 25 years.
Recalling.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Although it was hard to find spare parts for an old car, I could still find them.
Pausing,
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): But for life, no one has a spare one. Life is fair in that way.
Peter sighs.
Act 3
INT. SLEEPING ROOM - CONTINUOUS
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I've just come back from a repairer, having paid the deposit to buy the spare part of my iPad Mini 3.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I feel good to salvage the residual value of anything.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): What money can resolve aren't problems.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): As a senior citizen, it's only fair that I should refocus on my well-being.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I've got to enjoy more the autumn of my life.
As the Latin music ends, Peter plays another disk.
FADE OUT.
THE END
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