Elang opo Pitik, Eagle or Chicken
My recent evenings were spent catching up with my long-lost friends,
most of them are design and architecture graduates.
When things get too much, we gather and talk again,
mostly in the center of the city where it will not be too far for everyone.
The more often we meet, the more we share and learn from each other.
Well, at least we still have each other in this city far from our hometowns all around the country.
***
Starts every 8 am up until 6 pm (with approximately 1-2 hours break), 5-6 days a week:
I thought they will gladly share their stories on how design works has developed in their offices.
Or on how they have learned new things beyond the books in previous classrooms.
On how they can grow their links from clients and experiences.
Or maybe on how they find a boy or a girl in the studios.
Or maybe on how fun each projects is.
But they never did.
After 6 pm, or after the official-work time is over:
I thought they will happily take a warm bath.
Or make and eat their dinner as they get home.
Or turn on the television for a simple football match
or play those online games they called DOTA or CTR or whatever that is.
Or make a proper phone call to a family back home, or maybe to their boy/girlfriends.
Or maybe just a simple lay down on their beds.
But they never did.
After dinner (or even never had a chance for dinner) up until 2 am:
They continue with some freelance works.
A sad truth is, not because they love to, but because they have to.
Some firms never value operational budget nor overtime works.
Time is expensive, it gets more expensive in cities by distance.
Bikes might be cheaper, but the energy for work has gone as they drive under the sun.
Cars might sound more efficient and air conditioned, but the fuel is never affordable.
The salary for fresh grads are not humane for a living in a city,
never enough for a boarding house payment,
never enough to send back home for their parents (who mostly already claim for some).
All they have left is 3 am until 7 am:
4 hours of rest or 4 hours of reflection.
Some reflect on what they have to do tomorrow,
some reflect on what the hell I am doing with this routines,
on up until when they will have to do this on,
some reflect on nothing as they are too exhausted, mentally and physically.
***
Well I know those are the common problems with office works,
I knew this since long before I graduated.
Those are the problems when you work because you think have to,
not because you love it.
Choosing a path not taken is never an easy one.
You all may envy me or angry at me,
but remember that no one is the best,
no one is the worst,
we are all learning in this life,
and relax guys, no one get out of this life alive anyway.
As an interior designer,
yes I admit that I am the least productive compared to all of you in interior design formal practices,
so it is your right to feel curious at a friend like me.
They believe that I am the only one who already has everything in my hands,
but at the same time,
I am still being the only one who seems to do nothing worthwhile these days,
who only teaches students which is commonly considered as an unworthy-job with an unworthy-payment,
who spends time sketching old buildings on street as a hobby,
who rejects various highly paid freelance works
but chooses to accept only unpaid design for humanity works,
who never tried to apply to any design firms around
in which they believed will never reject someone like me,
who have not send any scholarship applications until this second.
I might sounds like a crazy design graduates for you by now.
But as a human being,
yes I admit that I might be a little insane,
because I know there are times when your heart, your body, and your mind
need some re-adjustment for a while, so please be patient with me.
Good to know someone still notices this,
but it does not mean that I do not want to do good things like I always did,
share some advice-worth life stories to you like I always had,
but some things take more time than the others.
One day,
sooner or later,
I will live on as this one good sarcastic parable from one of you,
which I thank you for directly said it to my face and to remind me I can still do better than these.
As I think as this is a good advice for everyone,
it is too good not to share it with the world.
For all of you who believe that each of you is special,
never meant to be the same as others, never meant to stuck in one place,
because each of you have your own purposes of living here:
"Kon iku elang, guduk pitik!
Elang iku dicipta’no gawe terbang, malah terbang’e dewean kadang.
Jelas gak cocok nek dikandang rame-rame, soale kon guduk pitik.
Ndang terbang’o sana!"
"You are an eagle, not a chicken!
An eagle is meant to fly, sometimes even to fly alone.
Certainly will never suit to be caged in a flock, because you are not a chicken.
Go fly away!"
Ngapunten menawi basa niki kelangkung kasar, nanging kasaenen menawi disimpen piyambak.
Mugi-mugi bermanfaat. Matur nuwun.
SBY.04.06.16
