footprints of life

Just a random note.  A small conversation with a good friend of mine a couple of weeks ago.

He told me that he had just recently experienced falling in love.  How sweet    I was really happy for him.  But that’s not what I want to write about.

It was a bit unfortunate that he fell in love with someone who was leaving his country, LOL…rings a bell?  That’s the problem when you are involved with people internationally, sorry dude.  But then he said that one thing he took away from the short ‘affair’ was that he came to appreciate and respect sappy couples.  Eh?

Yeah, sappy couples who couldn’t get off of each other.  Holding hands.  Wrapping their arms around each other. Kissing in public. Can’t seem to get enough of touching each other.   (Err….please remember that the context is the USA…not Indonesia, okay?)

At first, I was laughing out loud the first time he said that.  Well, honestly, I am among those people who look at those sappy couples with a bit of a critical eye.  I remember the first time I saw people kissing in a public park in Brussels, and how I shrank away from the sight.  But then I realized, that from time to time, I would envy them.  I did, I did envy those people.

The thoughts of being young, spontaneous, expressive and in love.  I envy them.  I know that in most cases, in various places where I had lived in, those things are not applicable. 

But from time to time, I am asking myself, are we (my partner and I) so ‘trainable’?  We spent years of dating period either being away from each other, or being in a place where ‘being close’ carries so much more of other significance than just being in love.  Are we so trainable that being physically close to my own partner in public feels rather ‘wrong’? 

Sometimes I am wondering, what do people see when people see us together?  What does our body language say about our relationship?

Oh, I almost forgot, the reason why my friend became more respectful to sappy couples was because he himself became rather sappy towards the end of the relationship.  I sure understand, she flew half way across the world, away from him, with no logical ways of possibly ever seeing each other again.  Oh well, that’s love.  And oh… how I miss my good friend…      

(English version below)

Rasanya klise mengatakan bahwa segala sesuatu yang dilakukan dengan cinta, pasti akan menghasilkan sesuatu yang baik adanya.  Tetapi dari hari ke hari, mungkin memang segala hal yang terdengar klise itulah yang ternyata telah teruji dengan waktu dan pengalaman manusia.

Orang tidak perlu selalu berbakat, dan cerdas, dan hebat, untuk bisa melakukan hal-hal yang luar biasa.  Bahkan, mungkin definisi ‘hal-hal luar biasa’ itu sendiri selalu terbuka dan subyektif.  

Jangan takut untuk mencoba hal baru.  Jangan takut akan kegagalan.  Jangan takut untuk terlihat lebih lemah dari orang lain.  Jangan takut untuk kalah.

Lakukanlah semua dengan cinta.  Dan apa yang kaulakukan akan menjadi hebat.  Hebat dengan caramu sendiri.  Mungkin tidak hebat untuk ukuran orang lain.  Mungkin tidak luar biasa untuk ukuran normal dunia.  Tetapi terkadang, hal-hal kecil yang sepele di mata dunia, adalah sebuah prestasi bagi diri sendiri.  Berbanggalah.  Berbanggalah pada pilihan yang kauambil, kehebatan yang berhasil kaubuktikan pada diri sendiri.  

Lakukanlah dengan cinta.  Maka cintamu akan menjadi kekuatan dan inspirasi.  Lakukanlah dengan cinta, karena itu akan membuatmu bahagia.

With love

It sounds like a cliché when we say that everything done with love, will always produce something good.  But as days gone by, probably all the clichés are there because they have been proven through time and experience.

We don’t have to be that talented, smart and great to produce extraordinary things.  We might even need to redefine “greatness” itself, because it is always open and subjective.

Don’t be afraid to try new things.  Don’t be afraid to fail.  Don’t be afraid to look weaker than others.  Don’t be afraid to lose.

Do everything with love.  And whatever you do will be great.  You will be great in your own ways.  Probably you are not great for others.  Probably what you do is not extraordinary in the eyes of the world.  But sometimes, a small thing in the eyes of the world is an achievement for yourself.  Be proud.  Be proud of your own choices, the greatness that you have proven to yourself.

Do everything with love.  Your love will become your strength and inspiration.  Do everything with love, because it will bring you happiness.