I love Indonesian culture.
I love that people were more focused on having true conversations with
people rather than rushing to something else.
I love that cell phones were not attached to everyone’s hip all of the
time. I loved feeling free to be myself
without being judged by everyone I walk past.
I loved having everyone be so warm and welcoming to us the whole
time. So many of these feelings are not
things that anyone really experiences in America. Here, there’s always the next thing to do that
prevents true conversation. There’s
always another thing to do to keep up with the fast paced life we are used to
living. We always try to get ahead, make
ourselves better, and do whatever we need to in order to stay on top. This creates so many feelings of bitterness,
anger and envy towards the people we should be making friends with. This all seems so backwards when we think
about it. Why do we try to be friends
with everyone we meet, yet only to stab them in the back whenever it is more
convenient for us? Why do we not focus
on getting to know someone else, instead we just focus on ourselves?
This difference has made the transition awfully difficult to
adjust to. I loved Indonesian
culture. I fit there, I found myself truly
being at peace in that culture. I found
other people who were like me, who cared, who loved, and who enjoyed knowing
and wanting to know people. I hate being
competitive, and as much as I want to succeed, I want uplift others in the
process as well.
As I was talking to a friend about all of the differences in
American vs. Indonesian culture, it made me realize how different life is here
compared to there. It’s polar opposites,
and a part of me wishes I were still there.
It’s hard, because I love American luxuries. I love running water, TV, people who speak my
own language - but that isn’t what life is about. Yeah, it’s nice to keep up with my football
team, but that doesn’t mean anything.
It’s nice to be able to communicate with everyone that I run into, but I
would learn the language if I was immersed with it. Hey, I could even get used to rice and
chicken, it wasn’t that bad to eat after a while. The things that really matter, Indonesia
has. America is still behind.
What would happen if Americans try to adopt the style of
life that Indonesian people have? It
would completely change our lives. It
would give us a new reason for living.
It would help us to love the people around us, rather than competing
with them. Everything would change, and
it would be a change that needs to happen.
We can’t continue competing with each other, we need to love. I dream of seeing a day where I will still
live in America, have my TV and food luxuries, while still keeping the attitude
of love permeating through the culture.
I dream of feeling as welcomed in my home language as I am in a second
language. I will always remember how I
felt waking up in Indonesia: excited about the new, overjoyed by the welcome,
and hopeful of the day that lies ahead.
I would love to wake up with that feeling here today.
Until this day happens, my heart still lies in
Indonesia. I hope it’s God’s will for me
to go back and keep understanding how to bring this culture to America. But while I’m here, love is the answer that
we all need. All Americans, not just
some. I think that is part of America’s
problem as well. All Indonesians knew
how to love beyond what was required.
They welcomed and gave us hope that we never deserved or believed we
could have.
Give me that faith, to step
out. Lord, help me to love.
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