A Ray in the Life

Name: Moehammad Ediyan Raza Karmel

IG Handle: @diminix

If we read the news about Indonesia today, what would we see? Homes that have become less and less affordable? Abundant natural resources with locals starving aside? Or violence and misconduct cases among the so-called harmonious communities? It seems that most journalists favor the bold headings a bit too much. 

I beg to differ. Let me take you to one particular morning in 2020. COVID-19 had just plagued our country. We were still recovering as a nation. It started like a new-normal day for me. People were coming back to campus, and I was prepared to give a lecture. Two students were running past me. They had to be late for the 8 a.m. class. There was a hand sanitizer, a banner, and an infrared thermometer located near the main entrance of our faculty. Both young men came through, and suddenly halted. They quickly cleaned their hands, let the machine measure the temperature of their palms, before rushing out upstairs.

I was mesmerized. No one stopped them, but they were abiding by the rule anyway.  I thought, ‘maybe this indicates a ray of hope-though a faint one’. Our land, sea and air were claimed by youths. Our Independence movement was initiated by all elements of patriots: from doctors, warriors, to intellectuals. A renowned story came up, about a truck driver in foreign country who stopped at the red light, even though there was no other car. The reason is: “What if there are children around?”

At that moment, I was proud to be Indonesian. Honesty and integrity could actually be transferred. It lightened my heart and reminded me to keep educating myself and the students, not just about science, engineering or math, but also about decorum, virtues, arts. “Urip Iku Urup”. Live a meaningful life.