Jul 18 2008
Coming to our senses…
We see, hear, touch, taste and smell, thanks to our senses.
Out of the 5, which is the most important to you? And if you had to give up one which would it be? Tough questions, I know.
Of the 5 senses, sight is the most important to me. It is certainly the one we rely on the most in our daily lives… and my job is very dependent on it too!
I can’t imagine a world without colours.
I can’t imagine a world without pictures.
Neither can I imagine not being able to read people’s faces, emotions and gestures. (Did you know that human communication is said to be 20% verbal and 80% non-verbal.)
I had a scare 4 years ago and a taste of what it’s like to have no vision. I was out for 2 weeks then (this story, perhaps another time…) and it was one of the most frustrating, scary and inconvenient times. After that experience, I really really started appreciating my sense of sight and have been making sure I take very good care of my eyes. I’d be devastated truly without my sight!
Honestly, I THINK I could manage without the sense of smell or even touch… but not being able to see and hear are BIG no-nos. I couldn’t live without hearing the voices of my loved ones too.
Of course, different people will have different takes and value different senses. I guess that would depend on what you do and what your life largely revolves around. Ask a cook and he’d say smell and taste are the most important. Ask somebody else (can’t think of who at the moment… a mother?) and she’d say touch is the most important.
Well, yesterday I was reminded again of how blessed and fortunate we are to have all our 5 senses. We ran a story on PTM about a little 5-yr-old girl who is blind but has an amazing talent! Her name is Yoo Ye Eun and I met her last week when she was here in Singapore for a performance. She can play the piano just by listening to a tune or song once!
For piano players out there, ok, maybe it’s not thaaat~ hard to figure out what the notes are for your right hand (the main melody)… but the left… oooh~ that’s oh so tricky!! Left hand’s the base… the accompaniment… d-i-f-f-i-c-u-l-t!! But she can pick that up too!
Her talent wows people, but that aside, Ye Eun’s story is touching… and her sweet nature and innocence, which shone through during the interview, make your heart ache at times… you’ll be even more mesmerized by her family story.
I’ll save myself words and just post the url of the video clip here on the blog… Meet Ye Eun and Connie too as the two angels take your breath away.
Hope you enjoy it…
Yup Suz, the little-girl story was really a m a z i n g !!!. Many people have ALL the senses and don’t care or value these…
When I went for radiotherapy treatment last December for my nose cancer, I lost my sense of taste, smell and my hearing is 50% gone.
So, all senses are important. But given a hypothetical situation, I do not know which to choose too. Though my sense of smell, taste and hearing is back, but they are never as good as before.
I may choose to retain my sight, for that is the only way I can see my kids grow up.
Nevertheless, I still cherish what I have recovered.
I liked it when you asked her what is the one thing she wants and she said, ‘make-up and lipsticks’. That just made my laugh. Anyway, thanks for putting this up, her story is truly inspiring. Oh, by the way, it’s great to hear you speak in korean. Take care!
Hi Guys, thanks for your replies.
Yea, don’t we take our senses for granted? and many other things for that matter. I feel sometimes we get too caught up trying to live a ‘hi-life’, we forget to appreciate the most obvious.
EDU - Agree with you… hopefully this story serves as a good reminder
WY - Sight for me too! I think for parents, sight, hearing and touch would be the most important senses, what do you think? How are you doing now? Are you fully recovered? I’m so glad to hear you have all your senses although some are not as good as before. Out of curiousity, does some loss in taste and smell change the quality of life in ways that we don’t expect? or is it what you would expect- that is, it affects our enjoyment of food mostly… Thanks
WY for sharing your story
I would choose both sight and hearing, as my TV integrated circuit’s not working and I have hardly any vision. So if not for sound I’d be lost, as far as viewing Channel News Asia’s concerned.
Gr8 posting Suzanne. I did watch the story of little Ye Eun on PTM; what a gifted child she is! It is a pity that she was abandoned by her parents but nevertheless she is lucky to have got adopted by such caring couple. You know, “the eyes are the mirror of the soul”, so, in order of priority, they stand first; all the five senses are important though.
Keep blogging
Hi Philip,
It made me laugh real hard too haha. That was a very unexpected answer… honestly, I thought she’d say ‘toys!” or maybe something along the lines of ” I wish I could see…” but “makeup and lipstick” absolutely threw me off kekeke.
I asked the mum later how Ye Eun learnt about makeup and she said that Ye Eun’s attracted to the scent of makeup.
Ahh… that explains it, doesn’t it?
Out of sight is not out of mind even this time over but I feel I coud watch the you tube replay for 3 - 4 years and still be inspired, motivated, energised, empathise and invigorated. Love it!!!
Hi Suzanne,
Thanks for responding. I never expect a reply since you are such a busy celebrity.
Yes, losing my sense of taste and smell has a drastic effect on the quality of life. It is tough living a life without any of the senses. Now I even appreciate the sound of a car engine.
Now I my cancer cells are gone and though some of my senses have become poorer, but I appreciate life more.
We always take it for granted for what we have until misfortune strike us.
Now I have adopted the policy of “It is not will we fall (in health), but when will we fall”.
Keep blogging. I love to read it.
hi Suzanne,
are you from Korea?
all 5 senses work hand in hand to provide us with the complete picture.
I think we normal people have 6 senses, or rather 6 ability. These are include the 5 senses, plus one more, Movement. The ability to move. I believe in this world, you can’t lose the ability to move. although many people are able to overcome. But if you ask them, i am sure they want their movement back.
Hi Suzanne,
Cannot agree with you more…….i tried once blind folded for fifteen minutes trying to walk around my house. I am glad to god that sight is the most important while the rest are bonus. Keep blogging. God bless you.
hi suzanne, i’m very touched every time i catch Ye Eun on Star King (especially her first appearance!), she’s such an inspiration!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntReE2n15bo
if i had to give up a sense, it probably would be smell… although that might be because we don’t see how much we rely on our sense of smell…
“and while her small fingers continue to hit the notes with mastery, her parents and those around her pray, that Ye Eun, will grow up, strong enough to understand, that life, unlike her music, will not always be perfect”.
How profoundly true!!
Hi WY: so touch !!! thank you for share with us !!! LOL
5 senses, Seriously?!
When I see you on TV, I could have sworn you heard the rantings in my head. haha.
In a list of Descending Importance,
would be to be able to see, hear, touch, smell & Taste.
To see and to hear is the most important I reckon. Like you said being without vision is as scary as hell. No color total darkness etc. Taste is of the least important of all 5 cose end of the day, its just a supplement for you to fill our stomach. The clip on Yee Eun was touching. Anyway have a good week ahead always dread Mondays and Love Sats!!!
hi suzanne mah favourite reporter–
for me all of the five senses are important
eyes- it is the window to the outside world..
it helps us see the beuty and the beasts of nature.
it helps us to appreciate the people surrounding us
and without it I cannot see you on tv
touch — allows us to feel and to know if someones touching us
smell- it helps us appreciate and dislike food depending on its aroma
taste — I like to eat,, I mean who doesn’t?? especially kfc variety meal which is only 5.95$
hear- without it you won’t like suzanne Jung
every sense is very important coz without it you cannot aprreciate evrything
Hi Suzanne
I happened to pop in and can’t help noticing this interesting topic. I have seen the Korean girl perform on You tube before I saw this posting and I share many similar feeling for the girl as to many. It is definitely sad to see such a small fragile body having to suffer the lost of ability to see.
As for me I feel all 5 senses are important. We are given these abilities because I believed we are destine to create many events in life.
However do you feel sometime having this 5 abilities may not be what it seems to be? This 5 abilities can also be the main cause that makes us lost our way in life. Ending up we could be the ones having the handicap.
Take the little girl case as an example, even she has lost the ability of sight, she has created an event in many people’s heart. In many years to come, people may forget her name but they will always remember the special little girl that can play the piano by simply listening. I think that is what everyone should work towards in life.
Don’t you think so?
JW
Wonder what accultarisation’s to the socially handicapped? growl!!!
hey there! ok this may seem too random even to make sense, but i cannot resist dropping by n leaving dis note.. You probably hav heard d whole ‘ur make my day..ur an inspiration’ blah blah, but have u ever heard dis one : “My baby chose u as her ‘getting-me-through’er”. I’m not kidding… See v had dis major move when she was just 7 months..v relocated to singapore from sri lanka, n since i watched channelnewsasia in sri lanka as well, she must’ve caught a glimpse of ur face n when i came here she was all upset cuz of d move n rarely smiled, so imagine my suprise when i turn on d tv n she cooes n babbles when she saw u on! N from dat day, her day is never complete until she sees u in d mornings! D days dat u r out i make do wit Steven!
Correction, sorry should read as “acculturation”. Thanks for ignoring the spelling mistakes. Can you please continue with blogging.
hi Suzanne,
no doubt these 5 rudimentary senses are important to us, i personally feel that the most important sense we possess is our ability to empathize, followed by our ability to appreciate all the beautiful things around us.
=)
I think all 5 senses influence our thoughts feelings and attitudes.