Life does not have to be perfect to be wonderful

The government isn’t the people. Mary my friend said that when I told her about my frustrations over what’s going on in this country (I am in the coffee island). In this day and age, just because of the ridiculously rigid policy on food import, some people have to eat “beras aking”. Beras aking is dried left over rice that we used to feed ducks with. It’s not like we’re running out of food as in Africa; there’s more food to eat, but they just can’t afford it. Rice is the main thing people eat, although there are other kinds of food available, people have accustomed that rice is present in every meal. It’s not easy to ask people to eat everything else when they are not used to it. And in this case, these people eat rice with banana leaves. BANANA LEAVES! Something that is not even considered as food.

They are human beings like me, cannot afford to buy rice because of the rising price, change of the harvest season, and import protection policy to farming. First things first should apply when people are starving. And there’s no other policy is better than protecting human rights.

In my brain I started to blame the government. But then, blaming the government won’t change anything. In Cincinnati, I have learned greatly about compassion, philanthropy, charity, and other things that would not exist without the legacy of my boss, Jesus the Savior. That change could happen without the government involved.

There are many social services agency here, but they’re just not enough. Our contributions (including mine) to help others are just not sufficient. Indonesia only have about 15% middle class society among the poor. I am not saying there is a lack of compassion; I am just saying that we’re hungry for more.

I am glad there are more people taking advantage of the “democracy” by exercising their rights to conduct more demonstrations, although in the end they have to depend on the justice system which we all know what it stands for. It’s the people who count, not the government. Focusing on what we have instead of what we don’t have is a destructive state of mind.

I am trying to stay at the bright side of life by enjoying coffee, the weather, food, trees, being a hobo by staying with my parents, and the resilient communities who already survived from the last earthquake. Jogja was as vibrant if not more, than the last time I saw it.

Everyday I hear the news about this disaster and that disaster, as if God was playing with the water near the sea throwing rocks over the land where landslide, floods and other environmental damages are happening. And the earth is screaming when we take more than what it has. When will we learn to take care of the environment? But, do we have any other choice when we have to choose between people and nature? We should not have to choose, there’s a way to live without damaging the environment, some of us just couldn’t see that far.

So, I turn off the news and go out to the traditional market to smell the fish, fresh vegetables, fresh herbs, and to listen to the crowds living for today . If happily ever after started with today, I should be able to grasp the joy on everyone’s face when they see the sun still rise this morning.