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
#laviniaelysia
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