For many living years of my life, I’ve seen many faces of this country called Indonesia. Have been living in one of the most crowded city of the world—Jakarta—gave me perception of what is called to be “Life is Hard “. Since Suharto’s fall on 1998, I’ve seen the country risen up slowly, but I’m becoming unsure whether it rises to perfection or destruction. I’ve seen many state owned enterprises cleaned themselves from their dirty image of corruption and nepotism. BUMN like PLN, PT KAI, and others have been taking pledge to rebuild themselves and trying to make a change. People are working harder in different role, they’re trying to help themselves to build the nation. Many movements take charges and the movement gets more creative each days. They’re not rushing to go down the street and read their demand with loudspeaker anymore, they’re taking different ways to reach the society and the government. To have the chance to speak up, to be heard.
A small movement that have been encourage people to send postcard through air mail named Card to Post, made a program called Postcards to Mr. President (Kartupos untuk Pak Presiden) where they wanted to gather as many postcards as possible that contain everything they want to tell to Mr. Yudhoyono. Other community named Indonesia Berkebun has been activately involved on several green projects to create green area on the heart of the city. The pilot project has been applied on many corners of Jakarta, and now has spread its project to other big city like Bandung, Bogor, and Semarang. Many youth program blooms, Indonesian Youth Conference is one of them. Initiated by Alanda Kariza, the program aims to be a place where young people gather and exchange their concerns and idea. Or even our friend from Good News from Indonesia (GNFI) that intended to spread positiveness and optimism through good news that coming from many corner of Indonesia. It is relieving to see so many people /that/ care. It gives me hope on humanity, hope to awaken the country that for many years has been safely keeping the name “The Sleeping Giant”.
But this morning, some thing strucked me. Reading the essay titled Take a Train in Jakarta gave me meltdown. I don’t know where it comes from, but suddenly I feel so small and powerless. We’re just a particle in this galaxy and why should we live if we’re not changing anything to the world we’re living? There must be a bigger conspiracy that made us still breathing this air, still enjoying the sound of the clock’s ticking. Jakarta is just a small city with it 661 km2, but with its over 9 million population, what can be worsen could happen in the near future?
Ever heard the term Negara Semut? That said you just need to do your role right in order to make everything right. I try to diffuse to that term for some times. The thoughts that I just need to do my role perfectly. Then after that, I just need to wait until every screw is in the exact places. Leave the democracy to those who learn politics. Leave the demand for health insurance to those who study it. Leave the lack of quality of education to those who wanted to become a teacher. Isn’t it selfish? I felt so terrible to ever have those thoughts. Is it just my gateway to close my eyes for any other problems other than mine? Is it just my act to be careless?
To feel powerless over miserable place we’re living is miserably sad. ‘Better Doing Something than Nothing’ is still laying in my head, and I still hoping to make some change. I know it won’t be an instant process. It takes a long time to fix the country because the root of destruction comes from each of us, from the darkest times of our life, from the traumatic accidents happen in the past. Changes are not easy to make, but changes are needed for us to stay alive, in order for us to survive.
I’ve been tired of this country for many times, I have been betrayed for many times. But if I have to say one lesson that Indonesia (or simply Jakarta) has thought me the most, it is the will to never give up the fight. This city has been telling its miserable story that made me believe that I need to hold on to hope, to try even harder, to not give up easily in order to change those miserable stories into glorious ones.
Indonesia, I won’t give up on you, so don’t give up on us too.
Big things always come from small ones. And small things always have impact, no matter how small it is. One hour in your life could mean a day for other people, so start thinking about the bigger part of your day. Try giving a hand to those who needed, it can be anything that you can do. It could be a little trouble for you but it can be a big help for other. Start living!
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