T.G.I.F. huh??

Well, I guess it's been a very while since the last time we posts something on this precious blog of our dear friendship. Even though, some part of this friendship has turned out to be a loveship actually. Yes! Yes, I am talking about the one that requests a post with the shortest post in this earth right before this post, since both of them are the contributor for this blog. Please, sir, make yourself a real post also... :D

Now, now, since we have grown a little, and most of us have graduated and trapped inside the cruel, real-life, maybe a little shifting in our genre would be acceptable, wouldn't it? I want to talk about a phrase that we never say it very dearly before like today.

But, before we proceed to the main course, I would like tell a little story which inspires me so much in the past, about this certain person that had always been a friend of mine in my one year journey to remote area.

His name is Een, I usually call him Kang Een since he is a Sundanese, probably late twenty at the moment. He is our school caretaker is Muara Basung. This Kang Een is no ordinary caretaker, at least that's what I thought about him. He might be only a face in the crowd for most of us, even for most of our students, since he doesn't stand out too much. He usually have things done without being noticed at all. But, I found this guy to be very incredible when it comes to his job.

At one time he told me a story about his dream, that he actually does not want to be a caretaker like this, that he has a more promising dream, more fortune in it. However, fate brought him here as our beloved caretaker. Well, he is not that an angel-like person with all of his good traits. You might find him quite a delinquent but let us put that aside since he is bigger than that.

I heard a story that this Kang Een is the one that revitalize most of our school property that was quite trashed out one year prior to my arrival there. He came to my newly appointed headmaster that also has brought Kang Een there to work. He said that he want to rejuvenate the school. He then explained about the re-painting of the school, providing his plan about the color that would looks good for this place, a match with the color Muara Basung unique soil, also for the roofs. He also plan to clean and fixed the filthy bathroom which seems to be neglected for quite some times before Kang Een arrives. And then, the establishment of library and health unit which happens to be also the dream of our headmaster.

I learned that that was the beginning story of this school, the reason behind why I am always amazed by the tidiness and cleanliness of this wonderful school. It was because Kang Een's endless hardwork and visionary thinking about the ideal school environment for the student. After all of that hardwork he was still planning for the next development, that is planting grass on our school ground and flowers in front our class corridors. He already has an imagination about how the flower should be arranged and how he wanted to have a group of  bush arranged to spell our school's name.

It is just amazing. He already figured out and imagined everything about the ideal environment of this school, something that is not usually planned by a caretaker. A job that people usually underestimate and Kang Een was doing it to the fullest, or maybe beyond that. He works 24/7 with a number of holiday less than every of us. He is not only do what he is ordered but also think about what he should really do. He makes vision just like the rest of us with a more distinguished and seemingly honorable job description. But, he never said a word related to Thank God It's Friday (T.G.I.F.)

For us, the people who works five days a week, learning from a kind of person like Kang Een is a must. Why do we keep complaining about our jobs? Going to work every Monday grumbling and spend the rest of the week working while fully hoped for the Friday to come? Keep complaining about how we do not get a raise in salary? Keep on crying T.G.I.F every Friday and simultaneously curse when Monday is about to come, asking for more holidays?

Those are not sins, maybe those are not wrong at all. But, aren't we ashamed with Kang Een. He is paid lower than most of us yet he is doing his job more than he is expected to be. Kang Een has a bigger dream as he said to me back then, yet he is still doing that considered small job very well. Kang Een never had a specific holiday to say Thank God to, yet he proceed through the day as if it is nothing. I may not know how he feels inside but, at least he did not show any complaining on his situation.

We might want to say that we have achieved higher education that we are worth for more comfortable life. But, we must not forget that we are lucky enough to have parents or other persons to pay us for a higher education for that comfortable life. If we want to say that we have specialization that he don't have, then try doing those chores he is working on. I have try it and I know that for that kind of job, we also need a specialization, means that people like Kang Een should be paid more. However, the system does not allow us to paid him higher.

I don't want to be the good guy here, because I am also the one feels ashamed here. I was also the person who keeps complaining about life until I try to enjoy it more than before. My chance encounter with Kang Een has put more elation on my life, that maybe most of us missed the key of enjoying our job.

It is on "Do what you love, and love what you do" where the key lies.

In a condition, where we are unable to do what we love, it is loving what we do that surpasses all. Kang Een shows me how he try to love what he do, despite him having a bigger different dream than what he is doing currently. That is why in the end, he never tempted to complain too much about his situation.

Let us all think that we are lucky enough to have this considered better condition. Then let us try to love this situation, this job more than before until we stop complaining, as Kang Een with relatively less lucky condition was able to. Moreover, if we would say that our situation is worse than him, the try quitting your job and do his job. That is when you will understand the meaning of loving your job, because the possibility is twofold, you might find that being a caretaker is your passion then you can love the job, or that you regret complaining about your previous job and can finally love your previous job which you cannot return to now that it is too late. That is what it means to "do what you love and love what you do".

Let us learn from this person named Kang Een and forget the T.G.I.F. words, let us just do what we love and love what we do.

Smile eternally,
Wirapati