Showing posts with label Humanity. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Humanity. Show all posts

Friday, May 23, 2008

The Commoners













There is actually nothing wrong with being a commoner. We wake up at certain hours of the morning, then we go to our usual workplaces, get stuck in the same traffic, we go home, do our errands and chores, cook or get dinner, and at a certain hour we will fall asleep, recharging our cells for the next day to fuel our activities. For most of us this is what we call living or even in some extreme case, surviving. But then again there are some species, with exactly similar features who would not accept the fact that they too are just commoners just like the rest of us.

Then the problems arise. Call it self-respect or even arrogance, members of this species felt like they are actually special enough to be handled with respect and dignity. They felt the need to stand out from the bunch. But then again maybe this is not the perfect time yet for them to enter the upper strata. They do not have enough of the key x-factors, mainly in the form of assets, power, lineage, or luck, to punch a notch above the average. Therefore this group would feel frustrated, helpless, and tired of being pushed around like the rest of us, the commoners.

It was like as if they were so close to the comfort zone that they were looking for, but haven’t yet reached the garden behind the gate. They may mingle with the upper crowds, shop in the same luxury boutiques, even hangout in the same uber-chic watering holes. But to survive, they need to be extra careful on when to hold and release their resources. Unlike the group of people above them, who do not seemed to be too bothered about this.

These “special” commoners may drive cars, but they cannot afford a chauffeur or an assigned parking spot. They may rent a reasonable living space, but not yet able to own one. Or even if they have an abode, it might not be the address that they felt they should reside at. They may be able to travel abroad, but budget hotels and airlines are still their common vehicle.

They would probably snigger at the commoners as if we were lacking of something special to become one of them. They always look up to the skies while forgetting to be grateful that they are already somewhere reasonably saver. An area where they don’t have to line up for poor people’s rice, drinking water, cooking oil or commodity gas.

And the thing that would hit them the most is the simple fact that they still have to queue the long lines of the banks. This group hates waiting. They wanted to be treated as royalties, but they do not have what it takes to be considered one. They would hate how the priority customers would cut their lines without even asking for permissions. They would envy the special deluxe rooms that would accommodate those big rollers. And they would promise themselves, that one day they too would have enough business for the banks or other merchants to take them seriously.

Go ahead. Plan, do, and get them.

Meanwhile the rest of us commoners have an easier way to avoid getting cut off of our lines: Bribe the tellers with cakes and cookies, find an obscure branch or simply be there early.




Concerned commoner,





Prof. Utonium

Copyright: Opening Image. Corbis © 2008

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

The A.R.K

Unwilling and burdened to perform the task he was assigned for, one day Evan asked God, “I don't understand why You chose me?”

"You wanna change the world son, and so do I...” He said.

Then He continued, “People wanna change the world… Don’t know how to begin. Do you wanna know how to change the world son? One act of random kindness at a time”

By the time when Evan acted upon His wish to build an ark, his family was forced to flee the town for the unbearable shame that they had to face due to the public opinion that he was indeed senile. During one of the most doubtful times in her life, Joan, his wife had a very interesting chat with a stranger. Yet she didn’t know that she was conversing with God Himself:

“But my husband says, God told him to do it. What do you do with that?” she asked.

“Sounds like an opportunity…” God responded.

And when she looked back at him confused, He continued, “Lemme ask you something… If someone prays for the patience, you think God gave him patience? Or does He give him the opportunity to be patient?”

“If he prayed for courage, do you think God gave him courage or the opportunity to be courageous?”

“And if someone prayed for the family to be closer, you think God zaps them with warm fuzzy feelings? Or does He give them opportunity to love each other?”

Then finally she understood.

It came to no surprise that generally people around me would characterize me as a pretty gentle-dude. Yes, that most of the times I procured cute gifts on their birthdays and anniversaries. Yes, that I tried to be there when they needed me the most. Yes, that I would sometimes give donations for charities or offerings in the masses that I (seldom) attended. Yes, that I gave my efforts in fixing or moving things for people that I care about. But personally, it seemed so long ago (I couldn’t even remember when) that I really helped someone in dire needs of my personal assistance.

Other than the extreme hunger and thirst that I have to endure during my early-bird puasa/ fasting (as commanded by my shinse), I began to learn on how to be more patient, then also how to control my emotions better. While this experience actually humbled me a lot, as the ultimate effect, I then felt this extreme longing to give a part of myself to someone. A gift so great that would be utterly appreciated by the person I was helping, because she/ he was unable to help him/ herself at that time. Be it someone from my family, someone from my circle of friends and workplace, or even a total stranger.

After that I was semi-consciously repeating this stanza over and over again in my head: “If someone prayed for a value of life, you think God gave him a mocha tinted Maybach? Or a lot in Dharmawangsa? Or a key into his “treasure” at vault DBS? Hmm. (Sorry got carried away). Or does He give him the opportunity to be valuable?”

Then today, surprisingly, the opportunity to do so came upon me, gripping the core of my heart ever so tightly. It was as if the time stopped when it hit me.

(And for the sake of special-effects, there was an actual earth-quake shaking the grounds beneath my feet)

While Aryans tended to have big aspirations to change the world, very few actually knew where to start. And as God once said to Evan:

“One act of random kindness at a time”

With that note, I would also like to end this writing with an apology. For any wrong doings that I had committed in the past, for I am sure that there were too many. Especially to all my Muslim friends who are beginning the holy Ramadhan season this week. Let’s build a clean slate and start with a new heart in each and every one of us.

Overjoyed I was today (and over a strawberry shortcake as well):
Selamat Berpuasa

Tangerang, September 13th 2007.

The first part of this writing was taken from the script of
“Evan Almighty”
© Universal Picture. 2007
Powered By Blogger