If Social Media Never Existed

I look back at my childhood and catch my elementary moments. I felt so young and free. But that's not the point. There are pieces of memories I would love to repeat again. Knowing that things change, I realize it only becomes a daydream. But somehow, I take the pieces out from my mind and tell people how nice my elementary life was. I, myself, am astonished. There's one part of those moments I'd like to tell you.

There's a time when children like me were so much excited about. Christmas, Valentine's day and birthday. As I remember, Christmas in my childhood memories was different. It gently called the children to prepare themselves for another surprise! Christmas wasn't just about routine, and we appreciated that. We were waiting Christmas for 11 months, and there it came! All I wanted for Christmas were presents, drama, and.... cards! My friends and I had a custom to send cards for the whole children in class. Do you how it felt to receive such fancy cards from your dear friends? I can't even figure it out. Until now. Christmas greeting (in the form of cards) is worth for presents for me. And to send cards was an honor and a self-satisfication. As I received them from my dear friends, I kept them safely in my secret place where nobody could find them but I. Too bad that one time I threw them away because I thought they're such trashes. :-(. Now I do regret what I've done. I perceive that I still want to carry christmas cards in my hand, feel the texture of those fancy and unique cards, and read the words assembled by my dear friends (which I found later copied from many sources). I do miss it.

Compared to these days, people are likely forget the feel of receiving & sending Christmas cards. Instead of sending Christmas cards, they prefer to text one person in a (super) brief or in not-easily-understood words and eventually forward it to all people in their contacts. Simply done! Yeah... I should be honest that it's quite tragic. Surprisingly, I follow this mainstream though. Not only by texting, I soon found that people also have habit to upload a Christmas photo on facebook and tag people on the photos. Even the strangers (I mean, the people who are actually do not know the sender well). Well, to be honest, this is spamming for me. And I catch that this way is too weird since the sender only give one easy touch to wish people a merry christmas. I have no idea about what you feel, but for me, this is not how a greeting should work. No cards, no hand-writing. Only a virtual greeting you can't grab for real with your hands. 

The typical thing happened when Valentine came. We, children, never really understood about the essence of Valentine. All we knew was only giving our friends (and our special one) a chocolate for each person. That's enough to express that we did care and loved our friends. We never cared whether we're on a relationship or not (the fact is, many of my friends had been bounded by a silly relationship). Soon when we're growing up, we'll know that sometimes Valentine's day sucks if you do not date :p. Alright, that's just a madness. As I was growing up, I searched so eagerly what is the meaning of Valentine and the history as well. Now I understand, but never feel as excited as I was. Elementary moments. I remember that I always asked momma to fetch me expensive chocolates, only for my friends. She said, "No. You give them to your friends. But you don't give them for your family." It broke my heart. But since then, I committed to think that  an expensive chocolate doesn't always show how big is your love. I guess the most important thing is that you sacrifice your pennies and time to buy them and give them to your dear friends. Please, never misinterpret this. I don't try to force you guys to always give chocolates when Valentine comes. Read first.

Again, people nowadays fulfill their excitement of Valentine when they have already given an expensive chocolate for their lovers. Exclusively. Then I wonder, "Valentine embraces every person. Not only for a couple!" I know that you guys sometimes feel so right to spend the whole day with your lover. But never forget to wish every person you meet a happy valentine's day! And probably it would be proper if you do not just send them a text, saying "Happy valentine's day" and then forward it. Moreover, if you just upload an e-card (though it's nice) and send or tag people on it again! Say it personally, intimate. Do not forward the text. Send a text to Brian: Happy valentine's day, Brian. Hope you and your sister get along soon. It's Valentine! Cheer up! And send a different text to Rondha: Hey, girl. It's Valentine and I hope you apologize all my faults. Sorry if I rub ketchup on your chair. I was joking. Hehe. xx

What do you think? And guess what answer you'll get from each person!

Now I guess you can read my mind. Next, is birthday. Remember how was your 7th, 8th, 9th, or even 10th birthday? Your birthdays before you graduated from elementary? There must be many friends give you presents and huggies. I do not clearly remember how my birthdays were for I never held any celebrations except my 7th birthday. But even though I never held any kind of hilarious celebrations, but my close friends, esp my (not so sure if it looked so) gank always granted me gifts! And yes, I loved their gifts. And the cards! So, it went regularly. I gave them in return. Let me figure out what we thought when the D-day had come by! Gifts from momma, gifts from papa, gifts from cousins, gifts from dear friends! I never thought any better ideas at that time. Gifts were all I wanted to pursue on my birthday. Well, now I'm mature and realize that 'gifts' are not the only gift I get on my birthday. It's beyond what I get in my hands. And getting words "Happy birthday" directly from my friends' mouth? That's beyond words! Gifts do not matter anymore. I know something better than that.

But anyway, I found that people become so apathetic these days! I mean, they do not really care whose birthday is that day. I know I'll get many opponents at this point :p. But let me explain, guys. Sometimes even your close friends do not really care about your birthday. If you let me open your eyes about how birthday works in our surrounding, you'll see that it's all about planning ignorance (I can't find the best translation for "kejahilan" in Bahasa Indonesia). Instead of giving you gifts (or huggies, or at least treat you right), they prefer making you feel like a dumb, stupid donkey! Yeah yeah, it lasts a lifetime. But when you ask the birthday girls and boys about how they felt at the time they're treated that way, you'll get the answer not funny. You think it's funny scattering wheat and breaking eggs on their body? Think twice before you act. I completely disagree. 

People use to give presents only when the birthday girl/boy holds a celebration. Hey! It looks like there's something behind the motive, which is fake. Bahasa Indonesia has an idiom for it: ada udang di balik batu. There's a shrimp beneath the stone. Got it?

Moreover, since Facebook has the fiture to send birthday greeting, it seems like everything goes so simple by typing HBD. WUATB. Hello?! You better throw the words away and not giving such a greeting. Knowing that it doesn't come one's heart, I feel so painful receiving such a greeting like that. I never do. Seriously! If I never know the birthday boy/girl, I won't give them greeting. Alright, I give them. But it comes from my heart, because I want to be a part of their happiness on their happy day. But surely, I never type HBD. WUATB. That sucks. I type the words like I've known the person for a hundred years. I think, that'd be heavenly for them to feel. 

Seriously, if social media never existed, everything would be precious because it's worth fighting for. Probably, sending cards on Christmas is classic. But it's far more precious than receiving an e-card or virtual messages. It makes you want Christmas to come back sooner. And I guess you can start to do this sweet thing on the end of this year -- Christmas! I will :-). And..... Valentine! Do what I suggest to you. Send a text to a particular person, intimate! Bring the warmth of Valentine to their day. And birthday. Do not plan any ignorance towards the birthday boy/girl unless you'll give them presents! Do not forget to send greeting in a personal and nice way. Never type HBD. WUATB. Throw that shit away.

I never be anxious to say that social media does cease the distance between people. Facebook, Twitter, BBM, Instagram, such-and-such. But people think too simply. If social media never existed, people will still send letters. And a long-distance-relationship couple would miss the feel of missing, I guess. If social media never existed, close friends would not feel so far until they need to send greeting from Facebook saying HBD. WUATB. If social media never existed, Christmas would bring back the happiness to kids. At least, there's something that they think going to come: christmas cards. If social media never existed, the virus of "Valentine sucks" or "Sucklentine" would not spread this easy throughout singles. If social media never existed, you would have to come and approach the birthday boy/girl only to say "Happy birthday". Because that'd be the sweetest thing in the world. 

Greet and treat people as if you have a chance to sail over their hearts. Greet and treat people as if you want to be greeted and treated.

Source: private doc.