#155 Reflections on the Trial Run of the Old Bed Sheet Collection Project (25/05/2025)

Speaking of which, I posted about collecting used bed sheets just this week, and the response was pretty good. This used bed sheet collection activity was a collaboration with the SAA (Society for the Protection of Abandoned Animals). Actually, I'd been wanting to do it for a while, but I've been busy with work, such as various stock shortages, adding new products, and continuous improvements, so these less important things have been put aside. In April, if you've been following Re Pillow Co. on social media, you'll know (here's a plug: https://facebook.com/repillowco, https://instagram.com/repillowco). I visited the SAA headquarters in Yuen Long and we discussed it, took some photos, and wrote some things, and that's how we started doing it.

Both of my cats are adopted, so perhaps I wanted to try using my resources to do something a little more. Like this time, I have a shop in Tsim Sha Tsui, so I thought I could collect old bed sheets in a bucket so that when people buy new sheets, they can put the old ones in, giving them a purpose. Sometimes life doesn't allow you to do what you want; there are many people and things that make you wonder why they exist. But sometimes that's just how things are. Instead of spending time dwelling on things that make you unhappy—things you can't change no matter how much you think about them—try thinking about what you can do in your own way. I believe everyone in different positions in society has something they can do. Abandoned animals are an issue, but there are many other things that everyone can do to make the world a better place. This is my personal opinion.

Life is short, so choose to spend your time in worthwhile ways and try to make it meaningful. It may sound old-fashioned, but in the process, remember to love the people around you more and let them know that even though you are busy with work or have a lot of concerns that are hard to express, you actually care about them.

I didn't realize it before, but now I'm increasingly aware that no one in this world loves you more than your own family. Therefore, you need to learn to cherish them and be sensible. If you're young (I know you think I'm old-fashioned), don't let your parents worry. Seeing your children become independent, have a stable life and career, build happy family lives, and come home more often for meals when they have free time will put parents at ease.

That's a bit of a tangent. Let's get back to this week's bed sheet collection plan. Although the initial response to the trial has been good, I'm not too optimistic yet. One of the things I've learned in my years of work is: "Don't be too optimistic when things are going well, and don't be too pessimistic when things are going badly"—this seemingly simple principle is very true and not everyone can put it into practice. For example, many people in Hong Kong's retail, food, and real estate sectors feel uneasy, and some are even pessimistic, thinking it's completely over and there's no turning back. But things might not be like that, and sometimes we shouldn't be too pessimistic. Maybe yes, maybe no, nobody knows. It's better to be prepared for both possibilities and not buy into everything. For example, the bed sheet collection program might be doing well now, but there's no guarantee that people will continue to donate in the future, so it's better to keep an eye on the long term. Hopefully, people will continue to donate in the long run. That way, even with new bed sheets, old sheets will have a place to shine.