What is life? I guess this isn’t the first time you encounter this kind of question. Not long ago, I had a discussion with a friend whether this is true or not: life is about making choices. Do you agree?

I am on the road where I am taking a hard time to ponder about life and its options. Is it true that life is as simple as choosing between two options?

In one afternoon, the rain was running cats and dogs. It was 3 pm, and supposingly, it is time for ‘les’ where students from my school, SDN 015 Tanah Grogot, can come to my house to study. Since it is close to semifinal test of Kuark’s Science Olympic, the students who come are mostly them who passed the first selection and preparing for the semifinal round. The rain did not stop until the next one hour. I concluded that no one would come to my house that day. I caught a pretty awful cold and flu, so I thought: lucky me :p Then, Rizal, showed up in the midst of rain and proved me wrong.

Rizal is one of the two 6th graders who had passed the first selection of Kuark’s Sains Olympic. The semifinal will be held in the end of April. If they could pass the test (hopefully yes), they would get the opportunity to join final selection in Jakarta. Going to Jakarta, the big city, becomes one of their ultimate happiness in life. My other student, Asran, for example, wants to reach Jakarta just to meet his former teacher from “Indonesia Mengajar”, Kartika Khairani.

Rizal has chosen his dream and made his way to pursue it. Rain or no rain, sunny or windy day, he never skips a lesson at my house. Asran also chose the same goal and followed the same road as Rizal’s. Both of them made a choice, but end up in different place. Asran could not go to the next round, while Rizal passed the test. So, how about the theory of “life is a choice” ?

This is the interesting part of life. We can depart from the same spot and aiming for the same destination, but end up in a totally different station. Yes it’s true, that we are free to choose among the options in life.  If life is merely about making choices, then it is as if that the control is in our hand. It is as if that we are the center of our life.

I find out that we have wisdom to accompany us during the journey. It is finding the meaning of our life journey that makes life becomes more enjoyable. Journey. (It’s another word that I got from another friend.) Let’s not forget the art of life journey.  We make decision and go through the process. Finding the meaning of passion, love, hope, bitterness, and more.

Then, what if people judge or we thought that we make a wrong turn or decision? The meaning and wisdom through the journey are the gems that we can treasure for the rest of our lives. Nothing goes to the waste bin.

My student, Abdul Rizal Fauzi, has become my teacher about making decision and enjoying the scenery of life journey.  He has decided to join the competition and follow the process: studying, reciting, reading, and discussing . He doesn’t ask too much about how he will get to the end. Like yesterday, he came to my house for the semifinal preparation, then we end up doing a science experiment that we read from a book.

I will stop here and not going further to give a lecture about life. I will let you to have your thought. For life is also a box of chocolate, each of us taste different fllings.

What is life?

Is it the choice or the wisdom that we are looking for?

choose. enjoy. learn. celebrate.

“Meet, Life, and  be surprised with all possibilites, then Wisdom will accompany you along the journey.”