第4部分(第4/6 頁)

uch　people；　mistaking　for　self…realisation　masks　cultivated　by　their　owners　to　the　point　where　they　lost　touch　with　their　own　reality。

Perhaps　that　was　the　reason　why　they　all　died　young？

I　didn’t　see　the　connection。　Mourning　my　lost　idols；　I　did　my　best　to　follow　in　their　footsteps。　Until　the　day　when　a　wise　person　told　me：

“Dear　girl；　don’t　be　tempted　to　live　by　an　image。　It’s　a　much　too　dangerous　game。　To　survive　in　this　world　you　need　substance。　And　an　image　is　no　more　substantial　than　a　dream。”

When　did　you　last　hear　someone　sighing：　“Those　were　the　days。”　Was　it　a　middle…aged　woman　in　clothes　too　young　for　her；　humming　her　favourite　golden　oldie；　or　a　weathered　man　who　still　wears　his　hair　long　and　speaks　in　the　idiom　of　twenty　years　ago？　Or　–　was　it　your　own　voice　you　heard？

You　may　well　be　one　of　many　who　are　caught　in　a　time　warp　maintaining　an　old…fashioned　style；　as　if；　at　some　stage；　your　inner　watch　had　stopped；　and　everything　since　passed　you　by。

We　all　have　traces　of　it；　this　urge　to　halt　the　passage　of　time；　whether　it　is　a　wish　for　eternal　youth；　a　nostalgic　hankering　for　things　gone　by；　or　a　vain　attempt　to　defer　the　final　curtain。

But　then　there　are　those　who　cling　to　an　outgrown　persona；　because　it　is　the　only　one　they　trust。　They　seem　to　be　afraid　to　mature　and　develop；　accept　that　each　given　moment　offers　and　adds　something　new。

What　deep　insecurity　lies　behind　such　fear？　Was　there　in　their　past　but　one　occasion；　when　they　came　vibrantly　alive？　When　they　felt；　finally；　that　they　were　loved　and　valued：　someone　with　a　right　to　be？

Whatever　the　reason；　there　is　no　escaping　the　fact　that　life　is　all　about　change　and　growth。　You　are　now　a　somewhat　different　person　from　when　you　started　readi