CHAPTER 129

First written (Published in Evergreen News): 2001-05-02

Rewritten: 2026-02-13

In the course of life, it is essential to remain clear-headed and to maintain sound physical and mental health. Do not delay what is important. Do your best in everything. Leave no loose ends, no hidden troubles behind. What we hope to leave are clear and steady footprints.

Since childhood, there have been two types of films I feared most. The first was horror movies, because I was afraid of the dark and of ghosts. The second type portrayed good people being framed by villains, or innocent citizens falsely accused and wronged.

When I was in kindergarten, my family took me to the then Grand Theatre in North Point. A short promotional feature introduced 《Yang Naiwu and Xiao Baicai》(names of a male and a female, based on a real story of a wrongful verdict of adultery during the Qing Dynasty, China.) I remember Xiao Baicai with her hair disheveled, yamen runners torturing her to force a confession. The scenes felt bleak and terrifying. The impression stayed with me for many years.

On another occasion, I peeped through the open door of a neighbor’s home at a black-and-white television showing a horror film. After a worker opened a storage cabinet, a long-haired female corpse appeared, eyes wide open, staring outward. From then on, that became the image of ghosts in my mind — the only variations being fat or thin, old or young. When I slept, I would wrap myself tightly in the blanket, afraid the bedframe might turn into a ghost.

When I was older, in late primary school, I watched an old style Cantonese martial arts films at home. In one film, a villain skilled in magic transformed himself into the character played by Lam Ka-shing (a famous Chinese opera male actor), committing crimes and framing him. When the real Lam Ka-shing appeared, even his friends and junior female fellow disciple treated him as the villain, and he suffered unjust accusations. I dared not watch the entire film straight through, moving in and out of the living room. My heart felt deeply unsettled.

I have never liked horror films, yet melodramatic television dramas about people harming one another are hard to avoid. I become completely immersed when watching dramas. Though I know they are fictional, I cannot control my emotions and instantly place myself in the characters’ roles. What I fear most is watching good people gradually fall into traps, utterly unguarded and at the mercy of others.

My only spiritual relief is hoping the scriptwriter will show mercy at the final moment — warning the good person not to step into the trap, or sending a wise figure to offer guidance, or even divine intervention to rescue them. Most satisfying of all is when villains receive their retribution, and the punishment matches the gravity of their sins. If good people do not receive good outcomes, I find it hard to let go, and must remind myself that it is only a film.

My wife often teases me: after watching the same plot many times, I am still so captivated. She asks how I manage my counseling work. The difference is this: in the former, images unfold vividly before my eyes in real time, making immediate identification with the characters almost unavoidable. In the latter, I listen to clients recount events that have already happened.

No matter how tragic or indignant the events, they are past events, presented from the narrator’s perspective. They are not arranged for dramatic effect or audience appeal. Most importantly, the counselor was not present when they occurred.

In drama, what matters is whether the plot development is logical and whether the presentation is skillful and persuasive. In real life, when assessing relationships and interactions, what matters is appropriateness.

The counselor’s role is to help clients recognize where obstacles lie, recalibrate life goals, review existing resources and explore new ones, work with their environment, and seek a way forward. Empathy is needed to understand their reality, but there is no need to live life on their behalf. As religious language puts it: do not carry another person’s cross; do not undergo another’s tribulation.

Having experienced situations close to despair many times, I deeply understand the helplessness and regret of harboring unresolved matters in one’s heart. In my own life journey, I strive to remain clear-minded and maintain a sound body and spirit. Do not delay what is important. Do not panic when facing difficulties. Do your best in everything. Leave no loose ends or future troubles. May what remains be clear and steady footprints.