A note to the future: If, perhaps, life should deceive you!

I happened to bump into these words. I don't remember what is exactly that inspires me to write all those words, but this note is made to mend a heart. For it to become stronger in the future..

If, perhaps, life should deceive you,
Be not gloomy, be not riled!

To sad days be reconciled;
Days of gladness, trust me, are near you.

In the future the heart lasts,
And the present is not cheering:

All’s but a moment, all will pass;
What has passed will be endearing.

From another book I read:
Man Zhafara Shabira, Those who are patient will be lucky

And in the school of life, God's curriculum consist only three subjects: ikhtiar, ikhlas and sabar (try the best, let it be and be patient). Be not gloomy in living life. All will pass eventually and the light of dawn only come after the darkest moment in the night.

For the past few days, i am struggling in giving a new meaning to life. Maybe just because I am entitled a new age while my heart keeps saying that I remain 18 at heart. Or maybe, because the life back home is not a cinderella life that I once imagined.

Yes, life at home is like living a harsh reality. There was (or maybe IS) reversed culture shock. For a good number of months, I try my best to cope with it. Hope arise and smile blossomed. But then, reality bounced me back to the bottom. Whether it is about life, living, job or love. All bounced me back to the bottom at the same time.

Then I remember reading a book that says: Once you reached the bottom, the only thing you can do is to rise high because there is no way you can slope lower than the bottom. Just try again and be patient if you fail or has not yet reached your goal. Those who are patient will be lucky.

Hope that I can be patient and ikhlas for the future life ahead. Amin

Celengan sapiku dicuri negara

Kok bisa??

Jadi ceritanya begini.. Beberapa hari lalu, kuputuskan untuk beberes rumah. Di tengah keruwetan bersih-bersih yang diselengi dengan bersin-bersin, ditemukanlah sebuah harta karun terpendam. Apakah gerangan? sebuah celengan bentuk sapi, terbuat dari tanah liat (yang aku yakin dibeli dari sekaten entah tahun kapan) muncul elok di tengah tumpukan baju-baju lama.

Reaksi pertama? kyyyyaaaa... celengan guuuueeee... harta karun terpendam gw! kayaknya bakal kaya mendadak nih, pikirku. Dengan semangat ala demonstran mesir menurunkan Mubarak, kuangkat celengan itu dan kularikan ke kamar ibu dan ayah sambil berteriak-teriak bangga. Niatnya menunjukkan harta karun terpendam itu, dan mungkin nanti akan ada pujian dari orang tua kalo aku rajin menabung. hehehehe...

Tau kah apa reaksi ayah? Dengan santai ayah berkata. "itu celengan dari kapan, nduk?". Dengan masih bersemangat kujawab, "Dari sma ato smp kali ya.. lupa. Yang pasti banyak, berat soale! hehehehe.." Terbayang ku recehan-recehan berjumlah banyak yang bisa kubelikan bermacam-macam hal. Buku ato bulpen warna warni.. atau cap emoticon korea!

Dengan berdebar-debar (lebay!), kupecah itu celengan. Brasa kayak di pelem2 kartun, tiba2 aku terserap dalam lorong gelap setelah melihat isi celengan itu. Koin beraneka rupa dan warna berserakan disitu. ada koin warna tembaga kuning ada yang perak. Ada yang besar, juga ada yang mini. Begitu ngeliat itu, kepikiran cuma satu hal: itu koin masih laku ga ya?

Dimulailah kegiatan memilah-milah koin. Yang koin seratus besar tipis berat. Trus uang 50 en 25 receh (masih laku ini??). Ini yang tembaga putih. Cap TIDAK LAKU langsung ditulis. Barulah pecahan uang 100 yang warna kuning. Kata ayah sih masih laku, tp cuma bisa buat dikasih ke pengamen atau pengemis. haaahh??

Uang 500, yang ternyata dua jenis itu, plus uang logam seribuan dipisah lagi. uang seribuannya masih tebel berat dengan lingkar kuning di bagian luar. Kata ayah, ini bisa buat jajan, nduk. Glek! cuma ini? setelah dihitung dengan cermat dan teliti, gabungan uang 500 dan 1000 itu berjumlah 5500.

Hiks.. celengan gw nilainya cuma 5500 rupiah. Bertahun-tahun menabung dari uang saku, hasilnya cuma 5500. hooowaaa... ini kenapa bisa begini???

Bukannya mencari kambing hitam, ini memang harus dicari sumber persoalannya. Dan ternyata, sumbernya adalah kegemaran pemerintah negara Indonesia tercinta ini untuk menciptakan dan mengedarkan uang baru. Entah tiap berapa tahun sekali, pemerintah mengedarkan uang baru. Uang yang lama entah masih berlaku atau enggak. Semua campur aduk ga jelas. Uang lama dan baru berputar kayak gangsing. Apa ya tujuannya pemerintah menciptakan uang baru tiap saat? biar percetakan uang negara ada proyek ya?

Bukannya mau membandingkan, tapi perasaan dollar AS dari dulu begitu deh rupa dan wujudnya. Uang yen Jepang dan won Korea juga begitu. Ga berubah barang sedikitpun. Pernah sih nerima uang yen lama, dibilangnya masih laku tapi sayang karena itu udah ga beredar.

Aku sadar betul pemerintah paling hobi ganti kebijakan. Ganti pejabat, ganti pemerintahan. Nama SMU berubah jadi SMAN trus berubah balik ke SMU lagi dalam jangka waktu kurang dari 10 tahun. Tapi apa coba tujuannya?? Ga ada manfaatnya kalo cuma perubahan simbol semata. Persoalan mata uang juga sama. Apa sih fungsi dan gunanya merubah-rubah bentuk mata uang sesering kita ganti baju? Bukannya itu justru meresahkan masyarakat ya? Apa gara2 itu juga nilai rupiah kita ga pernah bagus lagi di mata dunia?

Ayuk, cukup dong perubahan ga signifikan ini. Kami merindukan sebuah ketenangan dalam bentuk kesinambungan kebijakan dan bentuk mata uang. Biar tabungan dan pikiran kami tidak terkuras untuk memikirkan polah pemerintah yang lama kelamaan makin tidak masuk akal.

Pemerintah, ga mau kan kalau ada anak kecil nangis di depan istana negara trus bilang"celengan sapiku dicuri pak presiden", sambil guling2? Saya akan ikutan guling2 karena saya juga korbannya.

Celengan sapiku dicuri negara, ibu.. Kemana lagi harus kucari??

What's the use of having a religion if you do it anyway??

(WARNING: this writing is purely self reflection)


What's the use of praying to God if we kill?

What's the use of praise God's name if we committed crime and corruption?

What's the use of coming to the House of God if we cheat, lie and make others suffering?

What's the use of reading God's words if we don't let pregnant woman and old people to stand up in the crowded bus or trian while we sit comfortably?

What's the use of telling the world that we have religion if we throw garbage where you want and smoke in front of non-smokers?

TELL ME!! Somebody tell me...

What's the use of having or believing in a religion if we do it anyway?? If we defy all the good things that religion has telling us to do so??

Religion, some say, is a way of life. To praise the Almighty, to thank for the life we have. Religion give us a guidence on how to live the so-called human short life in a good way. So that at the end of the road, we can be given a ticket to heaven.

So, do we think that having a religion is enough without living the good guidence? Or do we think that interpreting it in our religious way that defy other religion means we gonna get a free pass to heaven?

Do we get a free pass by committing crime, corruption and killing? Do we think we can get the free pass if what we basically do is breaking all the basic rules of human relations??

Oh maybe I'm mistaken in interpreting religion..

I am sorry.. Maybe I should interpret it this way

That God and our religion is a scapegoat! A scapegoat for our guilt and wrong doings. So when we think we did something wrong or harming other human being, all we need to do is praying to God and then we will be forgiven. But then, we do it again and again and again.. And we pray and ask for forgiveness and again and again..

"ah, I'm tired today. Some other young man should give that old lady a seat. Not me"

So we come to God and ask for forgiveness then we wil do it again if we feel tired in a crowded bus.

Oh we must be kidding ourself! We are supposed to praise the God and live the way the religion has said, not making God a scapegoat!

Rather than telling the world we are religious, why don't we just try to use our heart. Ask our heart..

We, human, is Made from blood, flesh, brain and heart. Ask our heart first, learn to listen and use it. Teach ourself to use our heart..

Then i believe we wont make God our scapegoat. Someone from my past said she didnt have a religion just because his parent never introduce her to God. But her kindness to me, her respect to my life and my religion surpass some other people who tell me how to praise God in a good way.

Then i ask myself, how could she be so kind and understanding? While she tells me she didnt even believe in God? Didnt someone once told me that it is the religion teaching that teach us how to be kind to other?

Ah, now i understand.. It is not our religion that teach us how to use our heart and to be kind to other. It is our self! It is our self that learn how to use our heart.

So, stop making excuse in the name of God and religion if we committ crimes to other. It is us, ourself that did it and hold responsible about it. Ask our heart and stop making God and religion our scapegoat.

And i need to remind myself too, that there is no free pass to heaven.

p.s. I would like to ask for deepest forgiveness if you who read this feel that my writing has hurt your feeling. There is no such intention. This writing is purely a reflection to myself.