aku adalah angin...

as free as the wind...


"Haji Ali spoke. ‘If you want to thrive in Baltistan, you must respect our ways. The first time you share tea with a Balti, you are a stranger. The second time you take tea, you are an honored guest. The third time you share a cup of tea, you become family, and for our family, we are prepared to do anything, even die. Doctor Greg, you must take time to share three cups of tea. We may be uneducated but we are not stupid. We have lived and survived here for a long time.’ That day, Haji Ali taught me the most important lesson I’ve ever learned in my life. We Americans think you have to accomplish everything quickly… Haji Ali taught me to share three cups of tea, to slow down and make building relationships as important as building projects. He taught me that I had more to learn from the people I work with than I could ever hope to teach them."

(Greg Mortensen)

One day I decided to quit... I quit my job, my relationship, my spirituality... I wanted to quit my life. I went to the woods to have one last talk with God.

"God", I said. "Can you give me one good reason not to quit?"

His answer surprised me...

"Look around", He said. "Do you see the fern and the bamboo?"

"Yes", I replied.

"When I planted the fern and the bamboo seeds, I took very good care of them. I gave them light. I gave them water. The fern quickly grew from the earth. Its brilliant green covered the floor. Yet nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo. In the second year the fern grew more vibrant and plentiful. And again, nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo." He said.

"In year three there was still nothing from the bamboo seed. But I would not quit. In year four, again, there was nothing from the bamboo seed. I would not quit." He said.

"Then in the fifth year a tiny sprout emerged from the earth. Compared to the fern it was seemingly small and insignificant... But just 6 months later the bamboo rose to over 100 feet tall. It had spent the five years growing roots. Those roots made it strong and gave it what it needed to survive. I would not give any of my creations a challenge it could not handle." He said to me.

"Did you know, my child, that all this time you have been struggling, you have actually been growing roots? I would not quit on the bamboo. I will never quit on you. Don't compare yourself to others. The bamboo had a different purpose than the fern. Yet they both make the forest beautiful. Your time will come", God said to me. "You will rise high"

"How high should I rise?" I asked.

"How high will the bamboo rise?" He asked in return.

"As high as it can?" I questioned.

"Yes." He said, "Give me glory by rising as high as you can."

I left the forest and bring back this story. I hope these words can help you see that God will never give up on you. He will never give up on you.

Author Unknown

She was six years old when I first met her on the beach near where I live. I drive to this beach, a distance of three or four miles, whenever the world begins to close in on me.

She was building a sandcastle or something and looked up, her eyes as blue as the sea.

"Hello," she said.

I answered with a nod, not really in the mood to bother with a small child.

"I'm building," she said.

"I see that. What is it?" I asked, not caring.

"Oh, I don't know, I just like the feel of sand."

That sounds good, I thought, and slipped off my shoes. A sandpiper glided by.

"That's a Joy," the child said.

"It's a what?"

"It's a Joy. My mama says sandpipers come to bring us joy."

The bird went gliding down the beach. "Good-bye joy," I muttered to myself, "hello pain," and turned to walk on. I was depressed; my life seemed completely out of balance.

"What's your name?" She wouldn't give up.

"Robert," I answered. "I'm Robert Peterson."

"Mine's Wendy... I'm six."

"Hi, Wendy."

She giggled. "You're funny," she said.

In spite of my gloom I laughed too and walked on. Her musical giggle followed me.

"Come again, Mr. P," she called. "We'll have another happy day."

The days and weeks that followed belong to others: a group of unruly Boy Scouts, PTA meetings, an ailing mother. The sun was shining one morning as I took my hands out of the dishwater.

"I need a sandpiper," I said to myself, gathering up my coat. The ever-changing balm of the seashore awaited me. The breeze was chilly, but I strode along, trying to recapture the serenity I needed. I had forgotten the child and was startled when she appeared.

"Hello, Mr. P," she said. "Do you want to play?"

"What did you have in mind?" I asked, with a twinge of annoyance.

"I don't know, you say."

"How about charades?" I asked sarcastically.

The tinkling laughter burst forth again. "I don't know what that is."

"Then let's just walk." Looking at her, I noticed the delicate fairness of her face.

"Where do you live?" I asked.

"Over there." She pointed toward a row of summer cottages.

Strange, I thought, in winter. "Where do you go to school?"

"I don't go to school. Mommy says we're on vacation."

She chattered little girl talk as we strolled up the beach, but my mind was on other things. When I left for home, Wendy said it had been a happy day. Feeling surprisingly better, I smiled at her and agreed.

Three weeks later, I rushed to my beach in a state of near panic. I was in no mood to even greet Wendy. I thought I saw her mother on the porch and felt like demanding she keep her child at home.

"Look, if you don't mind," I said crossly when Wendy caught up with me, "I'd rather be alone today,"

She seems unusually pale and out of breath. "Why?" she asked.

I turned to her and shouted, "Because my mother died!" and thought, my God, why was I saying this to a little child?

"Oh," she said quietly, "then this is a bad day."

"Yes," I said, "and yesterday and the day before and-oh, go away!"

"Did it hurt? " she inquired.

'Did what hurt?" I was exasperated with her, with myself.

"When she died?"

"Of course it hurt!!!!" I snapped, misunderstanding, wrapped up in myself. I strode off.

A month or so after that, when I next went to the beach, she wasn't there. Feeling guilty, ashamed and admitting to myself I missed her, I went up to the cottage after my walk and knocked at the door. A drawn looking young woman with honey-colored hair opened the door.

"Hello," I said. "I'm Robert Peterson. I missed your little girl today and wondered where she was."

"Oh, yes, Mr. Peterson, please come in. Wendy spoke of you so much. I'm afraid I allowed her to bother you. If she was a nuisance, please accept my apologies."

"Not at all -- she's a delightful child," I said, suddenly realizing that I meant it. "Where is she?"

"Wendy died last week," Mr. Peterson. "She had leukemia. Maybe she didn't tell you."

Struck dumb, I groped for a chair. My breath caught.

"She loved this beach; so when she asked to come, we couldn't say no. She seemed so much better here and had a lot of what she called happy days. But the last few weeks, she declined rapidly." Her voice faltered.

"She left something for you ... if only I can find it. Could you wait a moment while I look?"

I nodded stupidly, my mind racing for something, anything, to say to this lovely young woman. She handed me a smeared envelope, with MR. P printed in bold, childish letters. Inside was a drawing in bright crayon hues -- a yellow beach, a blue sea, and a brown bird. Underneath was carefully printed: A SANDPIPER TO BRING YOU JOY.

Tears welled up in my eyes, and a heart that had almost forgotten to love opened wide. I took Wendy's mother in my arms.

"I'm so sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," I muttered over and over, and we wept together.

The precious little picture is framed now and hangs in my study. Six words -- one for each year of her life -- that speak to me of harmony, courage, undemanding love. A gift from a child with sea-blue eyes and hair the color of sand-who taught me the gift of love.


NOTE: The above is a true story by Robert Peterson. It serves as a reminder to all of us that we need to take time to enjoy living and life and each other. "The price of hating other human beings is loving oneself less." Life is so complicated, the hustle and bustle of everyday traumas, can make us lose focus about what is truly important or what is only a monetary setback or crisis.

This weekend, be sure to give your loved ones an extra hug, and by all means, take a moment, even if it is only ten seconds, and stop and smell the roses.


“You thought yourself unique, and because you were, an army of your kind rose up to change the order of things."

(Stephane Audeguy)

Suatu hari seorang ayah dan anaknya sedang duduk berbincang-bincang di tepi sungai.

Kata ayah kepada anaknya, "Lihatlah anakku, air begitu penting dalam kehidupan ini, tanpa air kita semua akan mati."

Pada waktu yang sama, seekor ikan kecil terdengar perbualan itu dari bawah permukaan air. Serta merta ia menjadi gelisah dan ingin tahu apakah air itu, yang katanya begitu penting dalam kehidupan ini.

Ikan kecil itu berenang dari hulu sampai ke hilir sungai sambil bertanya kepada setiap ikan yang ditemuinya, "Hai, tahukah kamu dimana air? Aku telah mendengar percakapan manusia bahawa tanpa air kehidupan akan mati."

Ternyata semua ikan tidak mengetahui dimana air itu. Si ikan kecil semakin gelisah, lalu ia berenang menuju mata air untuk bertemu dengan ikan sepuh yang sangat berpengalaman. Kepada ikan sepuh itu ikan kecil ini menanyakan hal serupa,

"Dimanakah air?"

Jawab ikan sepuh, "Tak usah gelisah anakku, air itu telah mengelilingimu, sehingga kamu sendiri bahkan tidak menyedari kehadirannya. Memang benar, tanpa air kita semua akan mati."


Jadi apa moralnya cerita ini?

Manusia seringkali mengalami situasi seperti si ikan kecil. Mencari ke sana ke mari tentang erti kehidupan dan makna kebahagiaan, padahal ia sedang menjalaninya. Malah kebahagiaan sedang menyelebunginya sehingga dia langsung tidak menyadarinya. Hakikatnya kehidupan dan kebahagiaan ada di sekeliling kita dan sedang kita jalani, asalkan kita mahu membuka hati dan minda fikir kita. Kerana saat untuk berbahagia adalah saat ini, yang sedang kita lalui.


"Being happy can be hard work sometimes, it is like maintaining a nice home, you’ve got to hang on to your treasures and throw out the garbage."

"Being happy requires looking for the good things. One person sees the beautiful view and the other sees the dirty window, choose what you see and what you think."

"Right here, right now, from here until tomorrow."


"Miriam wished for so much in those final moments. Yet as she closed her eyes, it was not regret any longer but a sensation of abundant peace that washed over her. She thought of her entry into this world, the harami child of a lowly villager, an unintended thing, a pitiable, regrettable accident. A weed. And yet she was leaving the world as a woman who had loved and been loved back. She was leaving it as a friend, a companion, a guardian. A mother. A person of consequence at last. No. It was not so bad, Miriam thought, that she should die this way. Not so bad. This was a legitimate end to a life of illegitimate belongings."

(Khaled Hosseini)

kalo cowok ganteng pendiam
cewek-cewek bilang: woow, cool banget...
kalo cowok jelek pendiam
cewek-cewek bilang: ih kuper...

kalo cowok ganteng jomblo
cewek-cewek bilang: pasti dia perfeksionis
kalo cowok jelek jomblo
cewek-cewek bilang: sudah jelas... kagak laku...

kalo cowok ganteng berbuat jahat
cewek-cewek bilang: nobody's perfect
kalo cowok jelek berbuat jahat
cewek-cewek bilang: pantes... tampangnya kriminal

kalo cowok ganteng nolongin cewek yang diganggu preman
cewek-cewek bilang: wuih jantan... kayak di filem-filem
kalo cowok jelek nolongin cewek yang diganggu preman
cewek-cewek bilang: pasti premannya temennya dia...

kalo cowok ganteng dapet cewek cantik
cewek-cewek bilang: klop... serasi banget...
kalo cowok jelek dapet cewek cantik
cewek-cewek bilang: pasti main dukun...

kalo cowok ganteng diputusin cewek
cewek-cewek bilang: jangan sedih, kan masih ada aku...
kalo cowok jelek diputusin cewek
cewek-cewek bilang: ... (terdiam, tapi telunjuknya meliuk-liuk dari atas ke bawah, liat dulu dong bentuknya) ...

kalo cowok ganteng ngaku indo
cewek-cewek bilang: emang mirip-mirip bule sih...
kalo cowok jelek ngaku indo
cewek-cewek bilang: pasti ibunya Jawa bapaknya robot...

kalo cowok ganteng penyayang binatang
cewek-cewek bilang: perasaannya halus... penuh cinta kasih
kalo cowok jelek penyayang binatang
cewek-cewek bilang: sesama keluarga emang harus menyayangi...

kalo cowok ganteng bawa BMW
cewek-cewek bilang: matching... keren luar dalem
kalo cowok jelek bawa BMW
cewek-cewek bilang: mas, majikannya mana?

kalo cowok ganteng males difoto
cewek-cewek bilang: pasti takut fotonya kesebar-sebar
kalo cowok jelek males difoto
cewek-cewek bilang: nggak tega ngeliat hasil cetakannya ya?

kalo cowok ganteng naek motor gede
cewek-cewek bilang: wah kayak lorenzo la mas... bikin lemas...
kalo cowok jelek naek motor gede
cewek-cewek bilang: awas!!! mandragade lewat...

kalo cowok ganteng nuangin air ke gelas cewek
cewek-cewek bilang: ini baru cowok gentlemen
kalo cowok jelek nuangin air ke gelas cewek
cewek-cewek bilang: naluri pembantu, emang gitu...

kalo cowok ganteng bersedih hati
cewek-cewek bilang: let me be your shoulder tocry on
kalo cowok jelek bersedih hati
cewek-cewek bilang: cengeng amat!!! laki-laki bukan sih?

Kalo cowok ganteng baca ini
langsung ngaca sambil senyum-senyum kecil, lalu berkata "life is beautifull"
kalo cowok jelek baca ini
frustasi, ngambil tali jemuran, trus triak sekeras-kerasnya"HIDUP INI KEJAAAAMMM....!!!"

Seorang anak muda mengunjungi seorang ahli permata dan menyatakan maksudnya untuk berguru. Ahli permata itu menolak pada mulanya, karena dia khuatir anak muda itu tidak memiliki kesabaran yang cukup untuk belajar. Anak muda itu merayu dan merayu sehingga akhirnya ahli permata itu menyetujui permintaannya.


“Datanglah ke sini besok pagi.” katanya.


Keesokan harinya, ahli permata itu meletakkan sebuah batu berlian di atas tapak tangan si anak muda dan memerintahkan supaya menggenggamnya. Ahli permata itu meneruskan pekerjaannya dan meninggalkan anak muda itu sendirian sehingga ke petang.


Hari berikutnya, ahli permata itu kembali menyuruh anak muda itu menggenggam batu yang sama dan tidak mengatakan apa pun yang lain sehingga ke petang harinya. Demikian juga pada hari ketiga, keempat, dan kelima.


Pada hari keenam, anak muda itu tidak tahan lagi dan bertanya, “Guru, bila saya akan diajarkan sesuatu?”


Gurunya berhenti sejenak dan menjawab, “Akan tiba saatnya nanti,” dan kembali meneruskan pekerjaannya.


Beberapa hari kemudian, anak muda itu mulai merasa tertekan. Ahli permata itu memanggilnya dan meletakkan sebuah batu ke tangan pemuda itu. Anak muda yang kecewa itu sebenarnya sudah hendak menumpahkan semua kekesalannya, tetapi ketika batu itu diletakkan di atas tangannya, anak muda itu langsung berkata, “Ini bukan batu yang sama!”


“Lihatlah, kamu sudah belajar,” kata gurunya.



"Sometimes the slightest things change the directions of our lives, the merest breath of a circumstance, a random moment that connects like a meteorite striking the earth. Lives have swiveled and changed direction on the strength of a chance remark."

(Bryce Courtenay)

Pada suatu masa dahulu, langit dan laut saling jatuh cinta. Mereka saling menyukai antara satu sama lain. Oleh sebab betapa sukanya laut kepada langit, warna laut sama dengan warna langit. Begitulah juga dengan langit, oleh sebab sangat sukanya langit kepada laut, warna langit sama dengan warna laut.


Setiap kali senja datang, si laut dengan lembut sekali membisikkan kata-kata ‘aku cinta padamu’ ke telinga langit. Setiap kali si langit mendengar ungkapan penuh cinta laut, langit tidak menjawab apa-apa, hanya tersipu-sipu malu. Namun wajahnya bertukar kemerah-merahan.


Suatu hari,datang awan...


Sebaik melihat kecantikan si langit, awan seketika itu juga jatuh hati terhadap langit. Tentu sahaja langit hanya mencintai laut, setiap hari hanya melihat laut sahaja. Awan sedih, namun tidak berputus asa, mencari cara dan akhirnya mendapat ilham. Awan mengembangkan dirinya sebesar mungkin dan menyusup ke tengah-tengah langit dan laut, menghalang pandangan langit dan laut terhadap satu sama lain.


Laut berasa marah kerana tidak dapat melihat langit, sehingga dengan gelombangnya laut berusaha mengusir awan yang mengganggu pandangannya. Tetapi, tentu sahaja tidak berhasil. Lalu datanglah angin yang sejak dulu mengetahui hubungan laut dan langit. Angin rasa harus membantu mereka menyingkirkan awan yang mengganggu.


Dengan tiupan yang keras dan kuat, angin meniup awan. Awan terpecah-pecah menjadi banyak bahagian, sehingga tidak berupaya lagi melihat langit dengan jelas, tidak berupaya lagi mengungkapkan perasaan terhadap langit. Kerana berasa terseksa dengan perasaan cintanya mengunung tinggi terhadap langit, awan menangis sedih. Lalu turunlah hujan yang membasahi bumi.


Hinggalah sekarang, kasih antara langit dan laut tidak terpisah. Kita juga boleh melihat di mana mereka menjalin kasih. Setiap kali memandang ke hujung laut, di mana ada satu garis di antara laut dan langit, di situlah tempatnya mereka bertemu.