Story of Mr Trains

In 2020, in the midst of COVID lockdown, I felt it was now or never.

It had been 3 years since I landed my first full-time job - I was finally starting to get a grasp of the organisation culture, my work goals, my possible career trajectory, and finally making friends. I was single then, and flying overseas every two months seemed like an exciting way to spend my early work years. Anything I needed, my salary or allowance covered for it. Nothing seemed out of reach.

On the other hand, on Sundays, I served in my community church. There were about 60 children then, and one of my first classes had a 7 year-old boy with ADHD. In fact, no one told me this boy had ADHD / temper issues (now, I would know that he has mood disorders because of difficult family circumstances). I was adjusting seats among the class and told him to move to the front seat to fill up an empty space - he refused loudly, I insisted gently but firmly - and he erupted into a huge tantrum and flung his bag across the classroom towards the whiteboard.

That was my first encounter with a child with "special needs". I was not yet trained in the field then, neither had I read much literature on this. But it was obvious this boy needed something more. I yearned to reach his heart, but I couldn't. Years later, I see him now as a teenager; he greets me by name, and I too for him. I am now teaching his younger brother, who is displaying similar, but milder symptoms.

In between the boy and 2020, it was a girl who was hard-of-hearing, then a boy with autism, and a girl with Down Syndrome. I was trying so hard to understand them and include them, but all my efforts felt worlds away. On weekdays, I wrote fancy speeches and press releases on the difference Singapore makes on the world stage. On weekends, I only wanted to speak to those who did not speak the same language as me.

Eventually, I decided that I only have one life and I want to use it to pursue what speaks to my heart. What my heart was called to wasn't macro-level things, but micro-level things. I went into teaching in a special needs school, and subsequently into digital skills training for youths from atypical backgrounds. I wanted to see how things are like for people with special needs in Singapore - from a newly diagnosed young child to a post-education young adult navigating the workforce.

With those experiences and observations, I left full-time employment and started an online store - here you are! I started Mr Trains inspired by my students' love of trains and all matters related to public transportation. I remember a trip to the US where I made a detour to view the Tehachapi Loop because I imagined how excited my students would feel if they were there with me. I named this store "Mr Trains" to keep it short and sweet - I wanted all children to remember this shop.

I have but small goals: to advocate for the niche interests of children with special needs (trains, buses, etc.), and in the future hopefully, employ people with special needs and give them a source of income. First and foremost though, is to bring sales up to a steady volume so I can think of the next steps!

So, thanks for reading till the last paragraph of Mr Trains' very first blog post from her creator, yours truly. I would appreciate it very much if you shared this post to someone who may feel inspired to make a difference. Or, hop on to my Products page to purchase your next gift to show someone you care about them, and their special needs child is someone equally loved by you. 🌻

Sheet of 12 Round stickers & I (on election day)

Thank you for joining me on this exciting adventure!