The general summary of the book is that there are 4 characters. Sniff and Scurry are mice that can detect change easily and take action right away to adapt to their circumstances. They keep moving around the maze to find yummy cheese to eat. The other two characters are Hem and Haw. They are tiny humans in the maze called Littlepeople. They also eat cheese, but for them the cheese also symbolizes something important in their lives. These are their dreams or aspirations. For the readers, this can be finding the ideal job or being successful. One day, Hem and Haw are shocked they don't have any more cheese. Hem keeps complaining and doesn't accept change. Haw does this at first but then he realizes that what Hem is doing is quite ridiculous so he decides to explore the maze. At the end of the story, it is pretty obvious Haw's decision is a lot better than Hem because Haw accepts change whereas Hem doesn't take action.
The first time I read this book was when I was a total Hem. It was the end of 7th grade and my mom told me I was going to move back to the U.S. I already took a year to adapt to the international school in Taipei found a community. I loved volunteering at this club and the school had excellent resources. Looking back, I still can understand why I was very upset but I failed to consider any potential benefits of moving. Because I acted like Hem for a few months, I didn't make the situation any better. I kept denying reality to the point that I asked my mom if I could live with a guardian in Taipei. This bad attitude persisted until I noticed that on my bookshelf, I never read Who Moved My Cheese? I guess that I didn't bother reading the book before 7th grade because it had the words "teen version" so I thought I wouldn't understand the book. It turns out I was totally wrong!
While I read the book, I was embarrassed that I was like Hem in the novel. If I kept going on like that, I would die from having no cheese. My irrational thoughts weren't obvious until I looked at myself from a different perspective. After reading the book for an hour, it changed my outlook towards life radically. This sounds cheesy (pun not intended), but my mood improved a lot as if the rain stopped and the sunshine came flooding in. I was still sad about moving, but I reminded myself of Haw's mindset. If I explore my new surroundings, I might find something I wouldn't find in Taiwan.
I would say my transition from Hem to Haw took around 3 years. Even if I read the book, it wasn't a sudden transformation. After making best use of my resources at school, I realized that I would not be the same person if I stayed in Taiwan. If I stayed in Taiwan, I would have not had much interest in chemistry because I wouldn't be doing Chemistry Olympiad and learn organic chemistry. I wouldn't be doing Science Olympiad or the Protein Data Bank video challenge. At the same time, you could argue that my alternative life there would be better. I would devoted most of my time to the same volunteering club and probably join iGEM or robotics. But this type of thinking isn't helpful. Now, I am at peace with myself.
I decided to revisit this book because of COVID-19 and I felt some hopelessness about the situation. After reading the book, it made me realize I was using the principles not only in moving but also in other areas such as interpersonal conflicts. For instance, I used to wish my dad was like other dads I envisioned to be. Someone that was bookish, had a PhD, and help me on schoolwork. Pretty much, I wished my dad was like me. These types of thoughts were quite mean because I had such high expectations for him. Now, I accept him for his differences because he is my dad, after all and I can't change the facts.
When it came to the coronavirus, I decided to stop having the mindset that the world was against me. I know it is not ideal to have online school, but repeating how boring my life is won't make me happier. For the first time during the quarantine, I stopped asking,"What could I not do because of COVID-19?" Instead, I asked myself, "What can I do even if there is COVID-19?" I think this is an empowering thought. I realized that I have books in my house to read, an elliptical to run on, and a piano to play Chopin nocturnes or Debussy pieces.
In the end, it is up to us to decide whether we want to be Hem or Haw. All Americans currently are faced with COVID-19. Despite having the same situation, we can choose to have different attitudes.
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