There were several tastes that I have just tasted with the iftar today. First, the sweet taste of seeing the smile of my 3 years old son on the bus to my wife's workplace. Second, the bitter taste of watching the news about war in Syria. Lastly, the delicious sour and spicy tastes of asampadeh dagiang I made it this afternoon for iftar. These three tastes were not related, yet all three merged in me, created state of the art feelings. I feel sorry for the humanity that have lost its humanism, I did not care for other matters because of a good meal I just have had, and I feel optimist that the world will be a better place in the future. These three feelings are what make a man a man.
The insight that one's live span is not limited to one's life-time can articulate the difference between man with other animals. Human civilization, modern or indigenous are developed through cumulative knowledge. Humanity is not limited to one person's achievement only, yet developed through inter-connectivity among humans. In other word, humanity as was yesterday, as is today, ad as will, tomorrow is not limited to any man's life time. Happiness in my son's face reminded me that my life is not just limited to my life only. Many things that I did, do and will do will have an effect to others around me. I have a stake to the future of my kids, the future of my descendants, their offspring and the future of the world, no matter how not important I am. This are just as how my life today, also connected to the life of others before me.
Oftentimes we forget about this connections while enjoying the amenities of life; good food, jokes, achievement, sex, etc. We forget that all those good feelings connected with other things related to our nature as living objects. Good food for example, are things that related to our tendency to survive. The tendency to live not just today, but also tomorrow. The reason that sweet and fatty and tasty food is that are materials that provide more energy. To survive, our primordial instinct stimulates the apatite to like these foods. Another example, the joy of sex is not merely just for the joy of the activity, but to ensure the genetic survival.
The smile on my son's face reminded me who was enjoying the good food, that there are more layers of life that one that is visible. Enjoying the food is not the only thing that happen at that time. While I enjoyed the food, I also added more possibility to survive, that also mean I added chances to leave traits of my existence in humanity, civilization, world, even universe (no matter how small the effect is). It does not limited to me only. Regardless of the size, everyone have their proportion to affect the others, humanity, world and universe.
This awareness are often forgotten. Oftentimes, this ignorance have no significant effects. Yet, at some circumstances, some-body's activity bring tremendous effects to other. A position a leader take for example, can bring happiness to the subordinates, or misery. The intensity of the effects depends on the position and situation a person have. Hatred in Hitler's heart have no significant effect when he was still a private, but as he became the leader of Germany, it brought catastrophe to the world. Thus, this awareness should grow in line with one's position socially.
How sad it is to see the war still happen today. There are thousands of years of experiences we have with war. All of them brought the sad stories of destruction and sufferings. I do not believe that any of leaders of conflicting groups have never heard about these sad stories of war. More over, contemporary knowledge have also taught that none of the wars can solve conflicts. Every modern wars ended in negotiations. Yet, the sufferings of the innocent, the mutilated future of a generation, the destruction of years of hard works are imminent. How can any body still consider that war is a solution.
Comments
so well, which one do you choose to taste? :)
bity
sour
sweet
spicy
:D