A Cup Of Tea: From 45 To 65. A Reflection on Indonesia's Independence Day.


Today is the new mark of our freedom... It has been 65 years, since the history wrote our proclamation. Since God and the world granted our 350 years old wish. We wanted to be free... Free to set our own limits... Free to reach our dreams... Free to stand up and free to sit down... Free to be man and free to be woman... Free to reach the highest rank of ourselves... Free to be whatever true we want to be... Free to be free... In our own country.

 But we all know that this freedom is not free at first. It is bought with blood. It is forced. It is fought. It is learned.
But today... It is almost forgotten. I'm telling you... Believe it or not we forget, all the time, of how precious is our freedom. How undeniably expensive is this short and simple term. And we just forget. Some of us don't really remember anymore of the 5 amazing points in Pancasila. Some of us can't sing our national anthem right without writing it on the palm of our hands... Some of us have forgotten our true principle of unity, Bhineka Tunggal Ika, and turning it upside down, fighting against each other for our own believe... And if necessary we hurt other people to make our points. There's not much tolerance anymore... Isn't there?

We who now able to live what our forefathers have been fighting for and with their lives, but yet we lose faith of what's important.

 we used to think about freedom, now we think about pleasure... We used to think about what is best for the nation, now we think about what's good enough for our own... We used to think about honor, now we think about money... we used to think about fighting for what we believe, no matter what, now we think about taking it all easy, and look thoroughly for safe spots. Or in some other side of this country, we took it too far, and kill other's freedom...
We used to die for freedom, now, we still die, but for stupid things like drugs, which isn't freedom after all. Or we just die innocent because of some who went too far...

So I wonder... Where on earth did the noble minds and spirit go...? The spirit of a hero who tore down the flag of our enemies... The beautiful mind of a legendary composer who wrote the song we can now sing loudly and proudly... The faith and the patience of a modest woman who sewed the first flag we ever honor... Don't forget the intelligent minds who wrote our proclamation... It is written so distinct and detailed that no one shall annul our independence... And of course the unity of our youths proclaiming that we are one, though we are many...

The bravery, the commitment, the perseverance, the courage, the honesty, the honor, the glory, the love of this country, that we don't have as much... The powerful minds... Where did it go? Do we still have it here, down in our hearts, or has it been gone for good?

 Remember one thing, everything they dreamed for all their lives, we have. They die, without having the chance to see the result of their long lasting fights, yet, they kept fighting anyway, because they believe their next generations would have the heart to honor everything they have shed their blood for...

 Let us one more time pray and thank God for this freedom... Let us once again honor our forefathers, not by raising our hands, but by doing the best of what we do, by keeping their courage alive in our hearts, by keep doing what is noble for the sake of the nation... By tracking back of what's important... and turning it back to where it belongs, on the top of our life lists. Unity is important, honesty is important, perseverance is important. Let's keep it that way.

 And do remember that most important is not the instrument but the mind behind the instrument. That is why our great great grand fathers could defeat the enemy by using only bambu runcing... So have the strong minds of our forefathers, and I believe, this nation could be the greatest nation on earth... Because we have it all here, in our country... The rich resources of golds, diamonds, oil..... The heavenly beauty of our mountains and seas and thousands of islands... Not to mention millions of various and beautiful cultures I myself haven't seen it all... I'm telling you, there's no country in this world could have as much variants of one culture as we have here in Indonesia... Do you know how many kinds of Batik culture we have? I don't know for sure, but I know it's a lot! And every variant has its distinct beauty and art.

So would you please.... Just sit down a moment and think... We are the greatest nation.... Live in the greatest country... And my God, we are free to explore and to build and to make this country even greater... Why oh why we don't act like one?