A word or two or more... about our Independence day

Just like other ordinary morning, I started my day by turning off the waking up alarm in my mobile phone. And then I replied Goen's text with: "Sorry, I missed ur text last night." I then got an immediate reply: "It's ok. I am getting ready for Independence day ceremony." ...

Well, today is Indonesia Independence Day ...

#sigh

One of the things that I loathed, especially during my school days, was the ceremony I had to attend every Monday. It was when I had to stand still for the whole half an hour having the rituals of flag raising, singing Indonesia Raya, the reading of Pancasila, the reading of preamble of Indonesia Constitution, some wise words (or waste words?) from the principal, then singing another national song. Every Monday I've got headache, not because I couldn't stand the heat... nope... it was that I couldn't stand the hate ... not of my country but the ceremony. It was the obligation to do it that made me angry. ceremony = anger = die ...

When I was in my undergraduate years, I started to develop "hate" for my own country, my own government... there was always something wrong about the country, the people, and the government. And I was not alone... lots of other people at my age actually shared this feeling. It was when the "love for my country" under the heading of "nationalism" was force fed to many in a brainwashing mode. "It was just like you were set in an arranged marriage... even when there was love to begin with but when it was forced... it would not feel right, would it?).

Post New Order.

And I find myself surrounded by many impassive Indonesian... yup... those who feel disappointed by the government and the country...
The bombardment of news on corruptions, mismanagement, blunders done the government, radicalism, racism, so on and so on ... grows a breeding ground for hate ...
The confusion created, the disappointment felt, the incomprehensible situation, the inability to solve the problems ... all are mixed at once...
Which brings out the option of "Why bother" ... simply shrugging the shoulder ... and ignore ...

But...
then
I am starting to feel differently about this business of "loving ur country" ...
Too many people I know... are ignorant ... some make a joke ... some throw negative remarks... some actually "sell" the negative things about Indonesia...

And I am starting to think ... "What is wrong with these people? What is wrong with me? Come on ... we are in the verge of ruining our own country... or at least ruining the image of our own country by throwing those negative sentiments."

We see what we want to see, right? That's what I believe...
If we're always looking for what is wrong, we will find it ...
So why don't we try to find what is right in our country? ...
There are some gems and many deeds to find...

And for this Independence day,

Indonesians should be proud that we have such strong beginning ... that we actually "FOUGHT" for our Independence ... bloods and tears were shed ... many people died so we can enjoy our today ... and it was a BIG DEAL ...

So if people doubt this independence ... doesn't it mean they disrespect/ignore the sacrifice of many people and many families?

I remember a goose-bumping experience when I was traveling in an economy bus from Yogya to Semarang, when a street singer in Ambarawa sang "caping gunung" with traditional flute ... It was sang by a very old man in such a sad tone that made me feel heavy at heart...

dek jaman berjuang/njur kelingan anak lanang/biyen tak openi/ning saiki ana ngendi
(during the war/I remember my son/I raised him/I don't know where he is now)

Jarene wis menang/keturutan sing digadhang/biyen ninggal janji/neng saiki apa lali
(People say that we have won (the war)/we are independent/he (his/her son made a promise/but  does he forget  (his promise) now?)

Ning gunung tak cadhongi sega jagung/yen mendhung tak silihi caping gunung*
(when he (his/her son) was at home (in the village in the mountainous area), I (his mother/father) cooked      corn/during the rainy days, I (mother/father) lend him cone hat)

Sukur bisa nyawang/gunung desa dadi reja/dene ora ilang/nggone padha lara lapa
(I hope I (and he) can still see/our village becomes prosperous/so all the sacrifices will be paid off)

*it is difficult to translate this part without explaining the context. In short, "gunung" means a village in an isolated area far from modernisation, "sega jagung" is mashed corn, a diet usually associated with poor people, same with "caping gunung" which is a traditional cone hat made of bamboo, the hat usually worn by poor farmer. This song is also ambiguous for me as I am not sure whether the said son is dead or is lost or does not to acknowledge the (poor) parents... or the said son here can also be meant all people who are in power and the parents are those who support them during the war to gain independence but then forgotten.

... Anyway... this is such a touching song. 

So yeah ... be GRATEFUL and start to count our BLESSINGS instead.

SELAMAT HARI KEMERDEKAAN INDONESIA 

17 Agustus 2012 

MERDEKA!!!!!