Finding my personal legacy and roots

I believe that most people need to look at their root, to understand the ancestry of personal heritage. My biggest questions for these are about my own personal legacy and the things I shall inherit to my offspring. My personal legacy should enable me to see the legacy not just my father and mother but also my grandparents from both side

Quest of personal roots

I imagine what it feels for black americans to visit the ports where his ancestors were sold as slaves to America or for the Jews to visit holocaust monument in Auschwitz.

I happened to read the story of a Dutch family to see their roots in Indonesia to teach their kids about their personal legacy
.

When I was in Iboih beach, Weh Island, I was surprised to meet a Dutch family who told me that the father wanted to trace his childhood in Medan, Aceh and Sabang as he spent several years there including the prisoners for the dutch in Medan.

It could also happen to Javanese in Suriname who tried to find their roots in Java or Javanese in new Caledonia who seek their roots back in Java and in their new home.

My personal things

Talking about personal outlook, I might seem a bit confusing due to two different ethnics of my parents. Some say I seem more like my beloved late mom though I still inherit my father’s typical appearance.

Culturally speaking, my mom has given me great influence as I coud understand her mother toungue for daily conversation. I am more familiar to the her culinary taste as my mom was indeed the queen of her own kitchen. I never forget when I fondly munched tahu tempe bacem she made for the whole family, gudeg cooked with her presto cooker, opor ayam or sayur lodeh. Sadly, I will never be able to taste her food again after she passed away several years ago.

I was also greatly influenced by my late mom as I was closer to her not just because of my upbringing but due to the fact that my dad died when I was at junior high school. I was taught by my mom for not eating with sound, how to address someone older, politeness and able to use her to translate kromo inggil language for me.

Family legacy and roots

I wasn’t too close with my dad perhaps because kids tend to be closer to maternal care since dad needs to make ends meet. That’s why two years ago I decided that I needed to trace my dad’s family root to where he was raised.

My journey to the capital of an eastern province of this country reminded me of how my dad spent early years of his life. How he spent his childhood along with his younger brother, the family matters he had and a touching experience when I made a personal visit to my paternal grandparents’ grave.

A century ago, my paternal grandparents used the steam ships to go back and forth across the world’s biggest archipelago since my grandpa was placed to work in different places in Dutch Indies, Indonesia’s official name before the independence. My grandfather’s job as a police officer has made his children born in various island to one another. My relatives told me that the house where my dad was born is now still used as a police station. I do wish someday I will be able to pay a visit to that town known for its cool weather.

Speaking about my maternal grandparents, I saw faithfulness, simplicity, values of life and family life. My mom was born in times of trouble when the nation was about to be delivered. The situation where she was unable to identify several stages of this nation I used to listen when she shared how difficult that situation was, how different Yogya in the past, how things changed to present condition. I was glad since a year before she passed away I was able to had a date with her in the city she was raised though I wish I could spend more time with her before her death.

Nobody is perfect neither is my family. As I looked on their failure, I made up my mind for not letting the same thing again, not to let my kids do and see those mistakes again. It is also the reason why I need to see my personal legacy.

Family does matter

My child will be born. As always, my wife will inevitably be closer to my child than me. My wife herself has different background. I wish the baby will inherit perseverance, strong faith, blessing to bless the others, strong hope and great attitude.

Personally I think that being stubborn is necessary as it is related to perseverance. Perseverance itself contributes to strong faith that someone should not give up easily. Blessing we have should be the basis on what we share to the others.

O Lord, it is my prayer that the baby will learn from his roots, understand his legacy, be the answer of my prayer and have strong and positive atttude. Personally speaking, I haven’t ended my quest to understand my own personal legacy which I will leave to my kids.

Finding my lifelong travel companion

Life is such a long travel that I find it more meaningful when I share it with another person. Someone whose life would go through the same path of travel like me. I could even liken the process for finding a companion in my travel to a quest for lifelong travel companion in this life of mine.

A travel companion is indeed someone accompanying me in my journey. Someone whose presence could brighten and become a source of courage on my days when the going gets tough. A person with whom I could share the beauty, magnificence, and wonders of my journey.

As a travel freak, I long to go to more and more exotic and enchanting travel destinations but I find it more beautiful when I share a romantic place with someone.

(On this photo, I just imagine that the beauty of this place, the castle and everything in this beautiful town would be more meaningful if a real travel companion went together with me)

The off-beaten-path journey

Off-beaten path has made me see nature where mother earth teaches me how to deal with unpleasant situation due to unconvenient path, unfriendly path or bad weather. This thing, in turn, would disclose someone’s hidden personality. Fortunenately, my zeal for outdoor travel has eased to see my companion’s gem of characters. I could see if that person cares for me, if that person is selfish or not or any other things

Determination and other things

Travel is indeed a journey to a destination. A journey that requires proper planning, good advice, careful study and on top of it strong determination. Proper planning is required when it comes to finding the right companion, good advice is likely received from our close friends, careful study is necessary when I need to ponder if the companion-to-be is the right person. Determination is needed since feeling itself is not the ultimate or most important thing of a relationship, the up-and-down mood is not reliable.

I know I wouldn’t be able to reach the peak of a mountain without strong determination. To reach it, we need determination not only feelings, so does love in every situation that needs determination and commitment instead of feeling

Travel companion

I know I might need to go through long winding road or dirt bumpy streets but travel companion would make it more cheerful and meaningful. I have faith that love of my love is the right travel companion. I also have faith that an imperfect travel companion is what I need since none of perfect travel companion does exist.

At last, I am so glad that I finally find my lifelong travel companion.

The person I long to meet in heaven

What if your life heavily depends on someone’s decision whose lifelong impact would be unforgettable? In other circumstances, when we get lost in our journey called life, someone could lend a hand to rescue us. They could be our boss, our faithful friends, neighbour, or our travel mates that I also meet in hospitality network in my travelling. Though we are likely not to pay attention in details but someone’s help is of huge importance that I might compare it to angelic hands from heaven.

A few weeks ago, I got a chance to taste these angelic hands when I had to stand in the fork. It is his advice that consoled me, his warmth calmed the storm in my mind. His help so far has been so priceless. A person whom I respect is, in fact, worthy of praise due to his tremendous kindness, generosity, and being extremely helpful. Hence, I wish for the best thing in his life, I owe him a lot since his help has shaped some of the greatest part of my life. This is the reason why I hope he is to be the person I would meet in heaven.

My path in life has also led me to unfortunate events when I had to deal with pain, confusion, uncertainty and sickness. In my travel, I am so thankful for knowing great people through hospitality club called couchsurfing whose members readily come to help me with their tangible and intangible help such as room, breakfast and lots of info. Arrggh what a nicer world it would be if everyone is like that. I am also grateful for friends who are eager to accompany me in my times of need, when everything seems so gloomy and painful. OMG, I do wish I meet them too in heaven.

It is my longing that the heaven would be a nice place where I meet those people. The ones whose aid has helped me to go through unfortunate part of my life. They are the ones I long to meet in heaven despite the fact that I also hope that heaven would be full of my friends.

PS : It is dedicated to every person I really admire and respect who has given me valuable help in my life. Recently, it is my boss who has helped me a lot.

For disclaimer, this posting is not meant for my last words in the earthly world 😛

Mountain hiking and my comfort zone

Why would someone, including myself, leaves his cozy home to endure hours of rigorous trekking, face harsh weather condition, get close to enormous challenge yet still has zeal to reach the peak. On top of it, mountain hikers are more than likely to be addicted to conquer more peaks. These facts eventually lead me to a situation where I could liken the mountain and my personal situation for leaving my comfort zon

e.

The so-called mountain hiking

Though I’m not a mountain hiking freak, I’m glad to taste the experience of getting thrilled by the challenge of hiking. So far, my sweet memories for mountain hiking indeed outsize the terrible memories. I could recall the first time I joined the hiking journey when I repeatedly asked the similar question,�Is it already close to the peak?� or “Do we still need long time to reach the peak?�. Does it remind me that sometimes I run out of patience in facing the gigantic problems in front of me?

It was in this kind of journey when I came to learn the nee
d to work with other team members and encourage one another. In spite of the need for personal skill, friendship is an ultimate need in this journey. I learned the patience when I had to accompany a friend who was really sick. I learn to understand humility when I got firsthand experience to see arrogance in a lost mountain hiker despite the fact that most mountain hikers, not to say all of them, are nice and friendly

It was in the mountain when I could someone’s genuine characters, the ones which are usually hidden in mask of personality. In times of trouble, under unpleasant circumstances, discreet character is likely to come out. My experience also made me learn how to encourage myself and the others, just imagine how it feels to lead three persons who had never been on mountain hiking to Rinjani, the second highest mountain in Indonesia.

Getting out of comfort zone has made me learn lots of things ranging from friendship, zeal, character building and how to focus on my goal namely the peak of the mountain.

My comfort zone

My recent situation has made me ponder my previous hiking journey since I have come to the fact that now I stand in the slope of a new ‘mountain’ in this life of mine. The thrill has me tremble for the fact that this mountain stands before me, the one that needs to be conquered.

I wish I could instantly spread my wings and soar above the cloud to conquer it and leave my comfort zone more easily. Hoping that I could overcome the obstacle and reach my peak soon, I remind myself that the journey is a compulsory need.

A few years ago I also heard the recruitment process, inspired by a Japanese company, conducted by an MLM company in Indonesia where the candidates had to meet the interviewer on top of the mountain. Apparently, it is indeed a nice way to test someone’s persistence as well as that person’s determination.

Arrgh, at last mountain hiking is supposed to be an enjoyable journey that would give more comfort for my zone. I wish, I pray fervently to the Omnipotent One for getting rid of this trip but I end up realizing that the journey ouf of my comfort is my personal need.

Note : I do wish to throw away the butterflies in my stomach without any treatment as I need to commence this journey (it’s my common flaw when it comes to huge problems) and hope that I would manage to reach the peak.

My Life Changing Experience, Pengalaman yang Merubah Hidup

I never forget the innocent look of some toddlers sitting before me in a class provided by a charity institution in a fishermen quarter of North Jakarta. They listened to me eagerly as I explained some lessons. If you notice their outfit and their neighborhood, gee you could find the differences


This experience leads me to be compassionate for them since those boys are truly trapped in a vicious cycle of poverty and desperation. What could you expect? This cycle would probably make them end up as a dropout, living a simple life that’s far from good education. Probably due to malnutrition problem, their intelligence might be under the average rate. I’m grateful for the chance given to me for teaching those kids, eventually it makes my eyes wide open to understand how fortunate I should be. It makes me realize about God’s blessing that belongs to me.

Thank God, though I have imperfect parents yet they pour me with good education, affection and many things necessary for my life

It has changed me deeply in the way I’m thankful in my life.

The similar story could probably be found when many people decided to be a volunteer in the tsunami aftermath in 2005, reach the victims of Yogya earthquake in 2006. I do believe this would be a life changing experience.

One day in a Sunday School class. Approaching a kid that seemed enjoying his drawing, I asked a simple question,� Who do you go with?�. He told me that he came with his sister since his mom was busy working at the market (I suppose that his mom was a trader). But his next response, after I questioned him about his dad, startled me (could I say it frightened me to death). His simple answer was,�Bapak sudah mati (my dad is dead)�. How come a four year old boy said it without any expression (in his face or in his sound)?

I might conclude he’s likely to think that he needed no father figure. In my shock, a friend whispered that his dad abandoned his family and severely abused his mom. Obviously, it was a vivid example of domestic violence.

Do we realize that even a man also needs the presence of his dad, not merely a small kid like him. It reminds me that no matter how imperfect my daddy is, he still gives me affection so that I could grow up. In this case, I’m also lucky

Later I realized that the absence of a father figure could lead someone to destruction or in many cases same-sex attraction between man and man.

It made me promise that one day I would be a loving father for my family.

A message from some friends seemed unbelievable, a friend of mine got stroke!!!! It’s seemingly impossible, he’s only 27 years old at that time. Being a best friend I had at the college, sometimes I made contact with him and met him when I come to his city.

I rushed to the hospital where he was treated, four days after the incident. He was there completely paralyzed and being totally unable to recognize me. It’s hard to stand by him and see him like that. Fortunately he’s already married and had a wonderful wife who’s willing to take care of him.

His wife talked to me about the reason behind his stroke and I also tried to discover the reason. It was due to his unhealthy lifestyle (remind yourself that doing exercise is necessary), his food (his appetite is usually about fatty food), and also his stress or life pressure (he took a night class to get another degree)

This incident made me think that I do need to live a healthy lifestyle all my life. It’s not a must but it’s a need.

It’s my belief that each one of us would have life changing experiences, anyone having near death experience would possess bigger appreciation about their life or someone having lost everything know what it means to toil and get back on his feet, or it could a person who received pardon after making a huge mistake. Speaking of love, Would you believe that someone not knowing what love really is could show love to the others? It’s obviously difficult, someone could love if s/he knows how it feels to be loved.

Many people were changed after receiving love be it from his spouse, lover, society, or even from divine love. It’s my conviction that changing someone’s misconduct would be appropriately done through shower of love. (Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a saint nor Mother Theresa.)

Above all those things mentioned above, the life changing experience with the biggest impact on me is when I realized that my Heavenly Father loves me. At the time I realized how God loves me, it changed the course of my life.

I remember the joy that comes, the need to be blessing for the other, the newfound peace following this divine love.

(I would tell you many things about other examples in my next posting. Thanks to a course by PPKS Shekinah)

PS : I wrote this a few weeks after the decease of my officemate, a 22 year old female after being diagnosed with malignant cancer. It’s another story that changed the way I think about my life.


taken from
http://androsa.blogdrive.com