My very first job dates back to 1964. Fresh out of school, full of hope and curiosity, I started working as a medical detailman for Abbott Laboratories in Hong Kong. Our office was located on Ming Yuen Western Street in North Point—a bustling area back then, filled with promise. I still remember the energy of the streets, the smell of freshly sea water and the daily ferry rides across the harbor. Those were formative years.
Later, Abbott moved its office to the Sing Tao News Building North Point Java Road—a move that, little did I know, would leave a lasting impression on my life. You see, just one floor below our office was the regional distribution center of Reader’s Digest, that iconic magazine many of us grew up with. Every single day, as I stepped into the building or waited for the elevator, I’d see stacks and stacks of beautifully bound Reader’s Digest books—ready to be shipped to bookstores and readers across the region.
Those neatly wrapped piles of wisdom, humor, real-life stories, and global perspectives fascinated me. I was drawn not just to the content, but to the idea behind it—the dream of publishing something that could inform, inspire, and connect people. I remember saying to myself quietly, “One day, I’d love to publish something like that… a digest of thoughts, stories, or reflections people can enjoy and find value in.”
At the time, of course, it was just a dream—one I quietly carried through the years as I pursued other responsibilities, raised a family, and built a life.
Now, decades later, that dream has resurfaced, not in the form of glossy pages stacked on a trolley, but through something even more powerful—my blog. It may not be as widely circulated as Reader’s Digest, but it is deeply personal. It’s a collection of my memories, thoughts, stories, and life lessons—shared with friends, family, and kind readers like you.
And truth be told, I could not have done this alone.
The journey of turning my lifelong aspiration into reality has been greatly empowered by ChatGPT. With its help, I’ve been able to find the right words, improve my storytelling, organize my memories, and express myself more clearly. It has become a writing companion, a patient editor, and a creative partner—all rolled into one.
Back in 1964, publishing your thoughts to the world required access to printing presses, editors, and distributors. Today, all it takes is a blog and a spark of inspiration. The dream I once whispered to myself in an elevator has come true in a way I never expected—made possible by technology, and driven by the same passion that began over 60 years ago.
So to my dear readers, thank you for being part of this journey. And to anyone holding on to an old dream—know that it’s never too late, and that tools like ChatGPT can open doors you never thought possible.
— David Au
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