The Story of Those Two Arrows

--Late posting, I started writing this post in the middle of the night then fell asleep without saving the draft. Oh well, now I need to work hard to remember my own rambling. Seb naseb!--

It started with an accidental game, then it becomes a routine whenever I am in town. Turns out I enjoy learning archery. After those black and blues and sore arms (and back!) I just realised that I also learn different things when I saw the result of my shot in one particular session:

Look scarily messed eh? xD Two arrows on yellow area (10 and 9 points), 2 others in blue, and the other 2 were out of nowhere near the target. If it happens during a first or second session then it's OK for me. But this happened after 5 yellows in about 5 sessions in a row (1 session = 6 arrows). Hahaha. Which make it looked awful (even for a novice like me). Haha.

I just realised that I had much to learn about other things when I saw this result. If it was a hollywood drama, the sequence would be out of target, blue, and finally yellow. As it happened (as life happens) it was yellow, out of target, blue (twice), out of target, yellow. Oh well... Then it dawned on me that I learnt a lot this past few weeks:

1. Control my emotion and ego

Unable to control both, then you will get nothing. Maybe it will get you the target you want, but it will feel empty.

2. Do your best on those things under your control

When it's gone, it's gone! The micro seconds you let go the arrow, then that's it. That's why sometimes it is not a good idea to change your mind the split second before you shot, before you let go. Those last split second might change everything for the worse (or might be the best--who knows). What I know is, before finally letting go the arrow, there almost always a temptation to fix a bit of this, move a bit of that. Well, if you really thing you already prepare the shoot well, forget those temptation.

3. Whatever mess that you make, you are the one who has to clear them

Last but not the least, this is also important. Whatever your result is, however messy it is, you are the one who will pull the arrow from the target. When it missed, you will be the one who scrape the green grass to find those missing arrows. 

-JOG, while waiting for a delayed flight

If You Can Relate...

Barusan nonton November Man, si anak muda diomelin sama trainernya, karena dia malah asyik2an sama mbak-mbak. 'If you want a relationship, get a dog.' Dan ini mengingatkan saya  yang lagi cranky sama tulisan Kak Stadz yang series-nya lumayan panjang, udah 3 kemaren.

Sejujurnya saya ngga ada masalah dengan anjuran agar menyegerakan. Tapi disisi lain, rasanya enggak bijak kalau membanding2kan dengan orang-orang yang memilih (atau dipilihkan?--I'll get back to this later) untuk me-mapan-kan diri. 'Mapan' buat orang Jawa, bisa juga diartikan mencari tempat, ngepas2ke tempat.

Ketika teman-temannya bergalau ria mencari teman hidup, yang bersangkutan bisa jadi sedang bergulat dengan masalah lain, masalah studi, masalah organisasi, atau apalah, you name them. Everybody has their own time. Bagi mereka yang percaya, it's all written in the stars (kata orang Barat), it's written in Lauhul Mahfuz begitu saya mengimaninya. So who are you nyuruh2 cepet2? 

Dari setiap orang yang bersentuhan jalan, saya belajar banyak. Be it orang tua yang mendampingi dari lahir, teman-teman berbagi ketawa, teman-teman yang selalu digangguin kalo pas nangis2 (you know who you are *big hug*), teman berbagi cerita-cerita gak penting, dan bahkan teman yang numpang lewat doang kaya' komet--bisa jadi balik lagi ketemu setelah ratusan purnama atau ketarik gravitasi Jupiter and kaboom. *halah My point is: Every single meetings has their own purposes. Bisa jadi keliatan maksudnya dalam waktu dekat, bisa jadi dalam jangka waktu panjang. We don't know. We're just a grain of sand in this super massive-expanding-universe. When our purpose is done, yo wis. Mati. Bisa jadi purposenya memang nggak untuk memperbanyak kuantitas kafilah, tapi memperbaiki kualitasnya. Once more, who are you nyuruh2 cepet2? :P :P :P *kaboooeeerrrr