JBJ's departure....

When i heard of JBJ's departure, i felt a strange sense of loss.
He left too soon.
I was waiting for his comeback. This old man who was supposed to return to politics.
As a young Singaporean who lived in a very sanitised political environment, JBJ to me, was just someone who shot his mouth off and landed himself in trouble for defamation. A trouble-maker. That was me a few year back.
A few years later, I saw him at cityhall mrt selling his books. He was a mish-mesh of white hair. Rather unkempt looking, I thought he was a joke.
"What was he doing, this old man? He should just stop what he's doing. Surely he should realise that whatever he was doing was a rather futile attempt to flame the lethargic and indifferent hearts of young Singaporeans. Not that many are interested in politics, much less want to have anything to do with one whose nemesis is you-know-who.
Fast forward to news of his death. I was upset. Maybe secretly, i had been hoping that he could put up another good fight, this old man.
Next thing i knew, i was at his funeral. His sons' eulogies were touching. It was the first time i heard from someone closest to his heart. And i saw how his grandson broke down after he took one last look at his granddad. There lay the man, deeply loved by his family. His wife, who passed on before him, was said to have said that she regretted not marrying him earlier.
That old man. A loving family man whom i thought a laughing stock lived and died a tenacious soul. How many amongst us could proclaim we will hold on to our beliefs till our last breath?
Thank you, JBJ, for stirring my dormant heart.