The Oldest Yet Still Around (1)

Do you know what old disease is still exists in our very present world of today? Its one of the oldest. No matter how old it is recorded, yet still crawling many developing countries like Indonesia, Brazil, India, and some African countries.
The oldest tale about the disease is recorded as old as historical time. A well documented note about it is to the date of 6000 years ago. This is one of the oldest and most frightening diseases ever recorded. It crated an incomparable stigma in human history. It creates an incredible impact to those who even just hear the name of the disease mentioned.
The ironic about it is that still very less people know about the subject. It became the most silent subject in all government of the countries where the diseases still exist. Since it was named, the terminology has become a problem of lower cast people in India; A shy-full word to be mentioned in many families. To be honest, before I know the diseases and became the one who meet and learn how a person affected live their lives, I know nothing about it.
Can you imagine that you then considered as sinful, filthy and useless by your loved community members? No other diseases that causes the sufferer in unconditional distress as the diseases. In some religious groups this even called cast-away people.
A well recorded painting was made in India during Gandhi time showing how useless a person can be once the diseases is in his body. The pencil scratch painting showing a man lying under a big tree with a shaking hand from his family members ( I presume it must be his wife), saying ‘good bye and die safely’.
I found does not sound like our oriental value to leave your family members that way. It’s the stigma of the diseases that forced us, me, and our community members to commit such action. How does the stigma has an immense power to force us? It evolved like a snowball, starts small and turned out to be a giant ball that has enough mass to role overt a culture. The decision to treat anyone with the diseases lies deep in our heart.
Why can’t people treat anyone else with tuberculosis, bird flu, or terrible cough as stigmatized as the diseases I meant here? The simple and logic of the disease is; If you are one of them, would you accept anyone else treat you like that?
Promise me not to treat anyone with such disease if I mentioned the disease name after this. Though I cannot judge you from your answer, its your responsibility to our community and the persons who suffer from it all this time. Its lepra in old India, kustu in the Sanskrit, and leprosy is how the world knows it today.
You can visit www.leprosymission.org or www.transformasilepra.org for more information about the diseases.
Jakarta, 31 December 2007

Noel for Your (and My) Disablement

Noel vs Josh
Latest updates on yahoo two weeks ago said that Noel album of Josh Groban has been sold up to almost 700 thousand copies until mid December 2007. I have bought the album 1 December 2007, as I haven’t bought a Christmas album for myself for a long time since the last one five years ago. The years after that I always get cassettes or CDs for Christmas gifts from friends.
What is in this Noel Christmas album that appeals people to think its worth buying for? How was it prepared that the selling growth is beyond marketing expectation graphic? Perhaps you could guess the possible answers. So do I. One of my friends said that he blamed it to the angelic voice of Josh, the main Singer. Some might appreciate its highly composing musical ideas and creative recording techniques by David Foster, the music director and the producer.
No matter what the comments say, the selling is now giving enough smile to both Josh and Foster to mark their career in music business. It left a seasonal and romantic memory of anyone who has bought the CDs and enjoying the music day after day. Just like me.
Allow me to talk more about the word noel, entitled to the theme of the album and its implication to our private lives; and how I see it.

Due to our disablement.
My biggest concern for everyone during noel time like this is you. The question that match to my apprehension right now is “where are you now?”. Whether or not you like it, you and me are fragile creatures. Sometimes I think I know everything that I don’t need any advice to run my life. At times I rely on my skill, brain, logic, and self imposed ego.
What I have in mind is to find out a way to get to somewhere where the wall is much brighter and the water is much cleaner. With the perception I have, I then try to look for places and explore any new ideas. Was it wrong? No. Was is worthed? Its debatable. If you follow what people say, you can do lots of things for both. It’s wrong if you never use your talent to run your life. It also not right if you just sit down and do nothing to fill up your days. There you go. Both right and wrong seemed tied, or collide into one. It leaves you in an owe. Which standard to look for? Whose advise to follow?
What happen next is that I went on and on till someday I realize that I am actually trapped deep down a dark well. The only source of light is when I look up. All around me merely leading to nowhere.

An overtaking moment
All of us agree that every noel is referring to Christmas celebration. And I like it as it makes a distinct difference. Noel comes from French’s ‘natali’s’ which meaning is synonym to ‘birth’. Yet though noel is mentioned millions of times during Christmas period, the meaning of the word remains a well hidden mysterious. If you ask ten people around you about the meaning of noel word, guarantee you won’t find two or three who will explain it right.
The closest and most significant meaning of noel I like best is from Wikipedia. It states that noel refers to Gaulish word ‘noio’ or ‘neu’ meaning ‘new’, and ‘helle’, meaning ‘light’. In this context the meaning noel is attached to winter solstice when sunlight begins overtaking darkness. Though it sounds rather traditional, nevertheless it takes the very simple parable the word noel represents.
I must admit that I might be one of many blessed and lucky people who has found the secret behind the noel. How did it happen? Its indescribable by words. I shall look back years ago, long enough, that happened just irresistible. The process of real noel can actually happen at anytime. It happens in the Almighty’s time and space, not in our dimension. And the happening is really momentous as it happened once in my lifetime.
Noel happens whenever you go in depth of who you are; It unveils itself when you picture yourself a loner in a deep dark and cold well. Down there you think you are save, you think you are contented, you think you will find your way out. Up there, beyond the darkness of the well, lies a much spacious and beautiful place to live in. Until one day you realize that you are lost in the deep well and no one can take you out of it. There are advises you heard on how to climb up the wall. You will do as advised, and in fact you start follow the step-by-step tips. Yet the well in way too deep. At that very moment you know that unless someone come down in a rope and bring you up, you will die in the darkness without anyone notice.
The magic moment of noel comes when someone with a strong rope come down, stretch his hands and tie the rope around you. After comforting you and together with him you are lifted up until your feet stand on the solid ground. And the rescue story didn’t end here, nevertheless the overtaking had just happened. At least you are not inside the well anymore. Noel came up when you first realized that up here, is much fresher, free from blocked of walls and cold water. The noel is the story when the man with the rope lift you up and then guide you to His comforting place and land.

We don’t really know what we know
Being in a disablement situation is not quite a free situation as we should be. It could be worse if we are not able to know who we are and where are we heading to. I had to admit that at that scene of my life, things seemed good, normal, and standardized. The stupid thing is that I see and view things from my sinful nature. It takes away all divine standards and put me in a situation that I can hardly see what is within me.
After the episode of salvation by the man with the rope taking us up, I came to one big statement; on my knee I confess that I didn’t actually know what I think I knew. The noel pops up when you tear down all your very self and invite the man with the rope to take you up from the well.
The noel, if I may take us back to the title of this short writing, is genuinely meaning that a Savior is born in response to our disablement. He is the man with strong rope that can take you up from your well sin. Have you got the noel within you? It’s now or never. (Jakarta, 27 December 2007).

You are Terrific!

“Has anyone told you today that you are terrific?” is what written in a friend’s mug. The mug is now in perfect shape, instead its almost smudged. To me the couple is so special as anywhere they live they share their radiant life to others. The words written in the mug is also quite an interesting to me as it shakes my sanity that there are a bunch of positive points we have inside us that is worth sharing and appreciation.
Most people don’t realize until someday they find out that there is a potential site deep inside them that is worth rated as ‘terrific’! How well are you and how great is your potent can never be unveiled until someday you explore it yourself. This is why a Wiseman write a great sentence saying “You cannot tell how high you can soar until you stretch you wings and fly.”
It all comes from within, with the strength from above. After all, your self-appreciation arise from within, not by expecting from outside. No matter what people say, or how limited it is, yet its how I see it from where I am standing right now.
Thanks and glad to know you through this blog.

Alexander Mutak