I think there is something twisted about early education in Indonesia: they told us that we must never sort and pick our friends.
In reality (at least, in my reality, since reality itself is subjective by nature), we get to pick our friends even from the earliest stages of our lives.
When we were in playgroups, we played with other kids who showed the same interests as we did. Some played tags, some played LEGO, some fiddled with their Gameboys and traded their beloved Pokemon with friends, some stayed in class and wept for hours while waiting for their Moms to pick them up.
When we were in elementary schools, we were faced with simple social groups. We mingled with people who made us comfortable. We stayed with people who made us laugh.
When we grew up a little, in junior and senior high school, we defended our friends as if our lives depended on it. We thought they were our comrade, and not even our parents had any say on that matter. We turned rebellious and defied norms to prove ourselves unique and different. And who were our friends back then?
When we entered college and realized that for the first time ever, we were stranded with only our own two feet to help us pave the way to the unknown? Who were our friends then?
The truth is very simple. Yet ironic. Just like most things in the universe.
We do, in fact, sort and pick our friends.
We determine who may enter our zone, and who may mingle around us. We deconstruct our defensive walls and save some spots for our life companions. We try our hardest to place our trust in them.
Yet, we can never determine who will stay, and who will leave.
For the true friends are not the ones we picked to be by our side.
Because our friends are the ones who stayed. Despite us being us. Despite them being them. No matter how silly, how aggravating at times, how physically deformed or mentally unstable they are. Or we are. Or we both are.
They are the ones who stayed.
***
HAPPY EID MUBARAK to everyone who celebrates it!
It’s still holiday season here in Indonesia, and I’m currently enjoying my holiday by playing some video games. I finally purchased a Playstation 4 the other day (yes, I know I’m super late), and am currently playing Final Fantasy XV. It feels very different from all the Final Fantasy games I’ve played in the past, but I guess that’s a good thing.
This post is just a stream of consciousness I conjured up during one of the times I spent alone in coffee shops. I know it’s a shorter post, but I hope you enjoyed it! Please let me know if you agree/disagree in the comments below. Happy holiday!
I will be posting new content every Saturdays, be it writerly stuff, or just things that I like to write about. This includes my own stories, information about my books, and things that interest me. Keep yourself updated by following me on Twitter and Instagram.
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Alicia Lidwina 