When we are social

I am in Starbuck at Ngurah Rai Airport, Bali. I have three hours before boarding and trying my best to just enjoy my time. Initially, I had a good plan. I will have a good massage at my favorite spa place but then I found out that they will not be open until 10 am, eee what? I have few other favorite spots in Kuta since I was living here for 1.5 year before. But then, too lazy to think about anything so I ended up myself, stranded at Starbuck.

This is my flight back to Bandung after 5 days of office retreat in Ubud. After 2 years of working online and meeting my team virtually, finally meet everyone in person. I almost forgot how to socialize with real people, an awkward moment at first. Who are they or we without masks? Juni said that she was wrongly recognized some people. She thought I was small and slim and I turned out the opposite. Other thought I was younger than my age.

As once a radio person, I know how the medium changed the imagination of others. People used to think of me as a charismatic person with a very soft and caring voice when I spoke through microphone while broadcasting. I like how I changed other’s theater of mind and how they are surprised when meeting me in person. They can either like me or feeling disappointed afterward, but that would not be my problem after all.

Back to the meeting in person. After two years meeting through the digital medium, it is feels different when you trying to solve a year of plan and challenge within 5 days. Did we make it for real? Yes, we did. Something just not the same when you do your work virtually. Not just your appearance being changed, your tone of voices when you talked, your reaction towards other, whether you really listening or not, especially when you turn off your video. People will get energy differently, will judge you differently. Therefore, I always said to people who knew me virtually that you do not know anything about me, you just know my social media.

I guess we are back to our nature of a social creature. We are real human when we meet others human. We can tell when someone is sincere or fake. We have real laugh, suddenly we are all comedian at some point.

Nevertheless, the pandemic is not over yet. I am very conscious about it, trying my best to keep distance if possible and never lose my mask unless I am eating and sanitizing my hands anytime. Within a week, I got 2 times PCR, 1 antigen, and will have another one in three days. Shit can happens anytime but before it happens and hopefully never, we just have to be cautions every time.

We are going back to work virtually on Tuesday, but I guess we will have a different relationship after this. We are more like a real team instead of virtually team.

Iklan

Reflection on Kindness. A note on BTS-JHope Birthday

She was arrived at my house when boxes are almost ready to sealed with her father drove a motorcycle around 1 pm. She gave me a box of her secondhand clothes as she eagerly sends me a message earlier to take a part on our event to celebrate BTS-Jhope birthday, 18 February. Nevertheless, I was touched by her father that supported her activities where mostly our fangirling activities are mocked by majority of society. He greeted and smiled to our humble messy garage full of boxes of secondhand cloths and items. Ah I should also mention she is so young, maybe less than 18 years old.

This is our second time of collecting secondhand clothes and items from BTS-AMRY or public in general to be deliver to people in need in Jakarta, and Purwokerto. Last year, we got 3000 secondhand clothes, this year we got more than 6000 clothes and secondhand items like school-bag and shoes in less than one month period.

Among those messages of ARMY on my Instagram and Twitter, they send love and pray that all good things we done will be useful for other and bring happiness to them. May all the good things become our fortune in the next life.

However, our activities are not only bringing good stories and impact. There is story that annoyed me and drive to write this post today to reflect what is kindness means to us.

Our group of ARMY – Bintang Ungu received sack of clothes but they are all garbage! Dirty under-wears, clothes with holes everywhere, one socks instead in pair. There is no way we are going to distribute garbage to the people in need. To me, it is more like an assault to our activities than a supportive donation. We are not the garbage tank, we are not responsible for your fabric waste! Oh how I wish I can send back those garbage to the sender.

It was not the first-time people are ignorance or maybe deliberately send us their waste instead of sharing kindness. Last year, I received broken books, that no longer can be read by others. Worst, some of them are really eaten by bugs.

Something is wrong with the perception of kindness. Kindness is a generous act, empathy toward others, and not expecting rewards. Therefore, if we open the donation for the unfortunate, we are knocking on your kindness heart to act generously. If you have a good empathy, you never ever send the broken items for others, you will share things you love instead. Will you wear other people dirty under-wear?

Kindness has an opposite meaning with Marry Kondo philosophy, to throw out things that no longer bring spark to you. Kindness is about sharing love, share the spark. You give second items because it no longer fits you, your have to give up your things because you don’t have space anymore. You give away things and be happy that others will use them and make them happy as well. But never ever give away your broken item for others to wear.

Kindness is not about making you feel good by what you think of doing good, it is more than that shallow feeling. It is not enough to just give your money to others then ignoring whether your money being use for good or bad thing. Same logic that is not enough to change your plastic straw with bamboo one and keep trashing the world with more other plastic products. Please feel good when you know your kindness act will sustain and bring bigger impact towards others. Be kind as a fellow human being without expecting popularity and price of power, and if there is a fortune in the next life, think of it as a bonus in life.

Today is Jung Hoseok, BTS -Jhope birthday, Hope-Day. He is ARMY’s sunshine and hope, who always brighten the room with his big smile and loud laugh. He is scare mostly with everything but never hide his scare and pretend like a strong one. He got headache with messy room. When it comes to fashion, no other member will be more stylist than he is. He looks fancy and expensive all the time but very humble at the same time. In my imagination life as an ARMY, he is my love-affair beside my love one, Kim Seokjin, or we said my bias wrecker.

Happy Birthday Jwaaeeehoope! Stay shining brightly and happy in many years to come. Love you JHope!