I have never read ‘Romeo and Juliet’ - not even the abridged version - until today.

What new insights can be shed on such a timeless and legendary love story? I don’t think I’m up for the task, but since I’m sipping my 90 cents Kopi kosong (probably the last place in Singapore that sells coffee so cheaply), I’m gonna try it anyway.

I think the thing that made the greatest impact on me is that I could have easily been Romeo. Benvolio the messager located him and called out to him regarding the letter from Friar Lawrence. But Romeo, chock full of cortisol, sped past him, dying to get to Juliet. I have a single-track mind and when I’m fixated on something, I impatiently brush people off, lacking the bandwidth to make room for other stuff. Of course, Romeo was in dire straits and exhibiting a classic fight/flight response, but I’m thinking that I need to consciously cultivate an unflappable spirit so that when an emergency happens, I will automatically have the heart space to respond to it. Prepare for shit to hit the fan.

Other than being steady, I also wonder about the mentality of these Londoners who paid to watch these plays at the Globe Theatre. Macbeth, Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet - all of them are tragedies that involve fighting to the death. Were their lives unbearable then? Did they seek reprieve from such escapist entertainment, much like the Romans watched gladiators duel at the Colosseum back then? How have times changed such that people get their fix from binge-watching soppy Korean love stories? Idk, these are the questions running through my mind.

I have actually never watched the movie version of ‘Romeo and Juliet’. Reading this made me want to watch it, only to see the interplay of serendipity and missed opportunities.