THE MEMORY, I LIVE IN…

Until now, still, there are people who believe in me that I would be a great writer. They who knew me such a long time keep asking me, “When will you come back? We have been longing for reading you again.”

Months ago, a friend said, “Wherever you want to go, just go. Whatever you want to do, just do it. And be tough! You are meant to be a writer.” His words really moved me. I flew back to the moment when my writings helped me so much, healed my own wounds and shared the values of life to people. Could you imagine? How someone came to you and hugged you so tight while saying “Thank you for what you have shared. It woke me up from my nightmare and motivated me to take my ass out from the situation was not supposed to be.” This is the same feeling as how people love your poems and share it over social media, or use it as a quote for their wedding invitation.

Regarding to my writing journey, I have published a book called “Lelaki di Biara”. It is a poetry anthology that I wrote during 2010–2012. Even though it has poor selling, people who have read my book said it is their favorite ever!

Some of my writings were published by national media such as Media Indonesia and Pontianak Post. It achieved good responses from the audience. I also joined some anthologies to campaign women and kids right, Indonesia multicultural and diversity, and humanity project. Back to 2014, I took part in the jury of The Annual Poem Reading Competition for Senior High School in Pontianak, West Borneo. My track record is not bad to start over in writing and it makes sense since writing has been part of me. I can do much better from now on, can’t I?

Yesterday, steemit.com approved me and hope it will motivate me in an unique way to keep writing. Beside, I have to commit myself to write here.

What will I write down here?
I have no specific topic for my page. I will just bring out the ideas that coming in my mind, but recently i get used to relate it with my interest in women and kids, romance, actual news in society, my travelling and experience, music, books and art, and kind of motivational idea. It should be poured down in very nice articles, poems, short stories and reviews.

Which language will I choose?
I mostly use Bahasa Indonesia as my mother language, yet I would like to improve my English so I will also write in English.
Again, what is my purpose by writing?

° Writing can be therapeutical. Self-healing.
It is free and everyone can do it. I’m not typically person who can easily share my thoughts and problem to people. It helps me to express my feelings and opinions. It can be in: diction, metaphor and figure of speech. A phrase can encapsulated the problem, a poem can relieve, a book can be a friend, a bookshelf can be a home.
This is what I discovered: why did philosophers write their theories? Because their brains are very busy and overloaded. If it was just stay there, there is only two possibilities: they will out of their mind, or it will be forgotten. And then, they wrote it in order to answer their own questions, to make hypothesis of the symptoms, to nurture their mind, to feeding other people’s brain, to spread knowledges continues through all generations and to cure the world. Ah, the last sentence sounds like an exaggeration.

° Building relation and networking.
Fun fact about writing is it helped me to make friends and connection while focusing on self-improvement. I was very active in a literary group discussion and also participated in some literary and art events. I gave talk at a local tv. I visited some place in Indonesia as a bonus of writing to meet people and reality. The reality is some people is not meant just to be a friend, they are also my tutors and family. This is how to build relation and networking and I want to repeat it again!

° Write for mission. I will discover it soon.
It has been so long ago when we focused on campaign to break violence against women and kids, Indonesia multicultural and diversity, environmental issues, so on. Now, my mission is simple: to be a good memory for my followers. It sounds absurd and funny, isn’t it? Easier said than done. I could die anytime, but when it comes, I hope that I can take you to the place where my memories live happily ever after. Quoting Pramoedya Ananta Toer, “A man may be smart as high as the sky can reach, as long as he does not write, thus will be forgotten in society and history. Writing is a work for Eternity.”

Steemit, here I am!
The memory, I live in…