The Priority
A pang of bitter reality hit me the other day. Only light but stays long in my sensitive feeling. Priority. While I might not give some friends ‘better’ priority, I got hit by the reality that I was not among top priorities in someone's list. Oops. I reflected. I need to feel it from ‘different perspective’, nothing serious and should not be taken seriously. It’s just nice to reflect.
The other day I asked my Burmese friend living in Washington to read characters written on a silver pendant I bought in Ubud. I asked her as I realized later that the character is Burmese. today she told me that only monks could read the character (called Pali) so she promised to take my pendant picture to monastery in Burma! I know she would. She likes to help friends totally, literally totally. Knowing the situation in Burma, I was panic. I told her not to mind my pendant. I was panic because I could imagine how she finds her way to get iButt done. I’m honored to be prioritized but this is not what I expect. So my morning reflection was complete with two extreme examples. Back to which perspective I see the issue.
Yes, I really have to give friends number XX in my priority list this Eid holiday. I only have limited time and energy. I just knew the other day that streets in my usual route to many areas are under construction, another bus lane on the way, so imagine three narrow lanes become two now. That leaves me with no option. All routes have same chance to be jammed after Eid holiday as all TransJakarta routes start to be operating. Ugh.. It’s the right time to move to Ubud. I’m happy.
So, yes, I had already postponed buying gift for my nephew two days, as I didn’t want to be stuck in crowd. Today I made it. He got 8 GB black iPod New Nano plus two manga comics (which I tried hard to understand the story). I spent some four hours including grocery shopping and lunch. In cashier line in the hypermarket, I observed what’s in the other trolleys. Oh my! A stack of shirts; a trolley of flour, bags of huge potatoes (to make broccoli and cheese, I asked), syrup, sugar,… People are preparing for festive Eid. I feel ashamed, I prepared the occasion late that I didn't have enough time to prepare gifts for staffs well. I don’t have big family so I prone to take things easy. Hm.
Anyway, again, I thought about priority. Mama and my only nephew are my priority now. Not that I don’t care about others because that's also my mirror to understand my position in other people’s life. I just need to alter my perspective.
Photo of hair alteration service sign in Ubud.