I saw a reflection of myself in the MTR door this morning and I thought damn, I sure look like my dad. Growing up, I never thought of my dad as particularly cool, wearing his button-down shirts with khakis, jeans, or slacks, and tennis shoes. I associate the tucked-in, button-down look with him, and now I'm sporting the same look for work.
My dad was not someone I tried to emulate. If anything, there were things he did that I told myself I would never do. The sad thing is, I've actually gone on to do pretty much everything I said I wouldn't do.
The MTR takes me to an office less than a mile away from my birthplace. The hospital is no longer there. Actually, I don't know what's there now. Maybe one of these days I'll stop by during lunch to have a look.
The first place I ever lived is even closer, only half a mile away. My aunt's house is close as well, in the same neighborhood it's been for the past 40 years. This is where I come from.
In my angst over rejoining the rat race, it hadn't occurred to me that I'm now working so near the "home" in my original "hometown". I wasn't trying to do it, but it happened. I didn't want to be like my dad, yet somehow I am. I try not to do the narcissistic things my mom does, but sometimes I do. No matter how hard I've tried to be my own person, I am still a product of my upbringing and socioeconomic background.
I'd like to think that I'm in control of my life but it's kind of crazy how close I am to the beginning. Is it possible that all this happened subconsciously? Maybe I'm not much in control after all.