Written by Nindy Silvia Anggraini, Content Writer Intern Project Child Indonesia
I was born as a social being. Interacting with other people has become a demand even before I was born. In my toddler, mother and father taught me how to speak, the purpose of which was to establish communication with them. As I grew up, I was introduced to a wider environment. The school requires me to socialize, interact, and make friends with those around me. People say, at least we must have one friend who will always be there for us to survive. Where we share stories, complain, laugh, cry, do many things together. People said we can’t live alone. People said life will be lighter when shared. Therefore I was demanded from childhood to always be kind in front of many people. Gathering people who can be my “friend” so that I didn’t get lonely. I try to hold my ego to be able to apply the value of the “each other” words in a friendship. Share, understand each other, love each other, everything is reciprocal. But do you mind if I think a little weird and different from you all?
I admit that I am a social being who needs others to survive. But don’t forget the fact that humans are also individual beings with their interests and difficulties. I am me with my own troubles, pleasures, responsibilities, and rights. In my opinion, how deep we build a friendship or whatever it is, in the end, we will fight on our own behalf. I don’t really into the basic value of “each other” words in friendship. I know that my friends have their own problems and excitement, and I think i don’t need to add to the burden of thinking about the problem I have. No, that doesn’t mean I censure the value of that beautiful friendship. I cherish it when there is someone who always cheering for my joy and crying along with my sadness. But doesn’t it means that I also have to do the opposite to “repay” their services? This is where my problem starts. I was too absorbed in my duties as a friend. No, I’m Not pretending to be attentive, but I feel that I worry too much about people around me and forget about myself struggling alone.
But it’s never too late for this. I have to be able to endure the label of a social being as well as an individual being. I am grateful for the presence of my friends. They were very helpful to my difficult times and they were also happy in my happy times. But from now on I will start to befriend myself. Understanding, appreciating, caring for, and caring for myself who have struggled through the days after days that I could not even predict the good and bad. Thank you for always surviving in all circumstances, happy friendship day, myself!
