"THE STRAIGHT-AND-NARROW VERSUS THE CURVATURES" in "FROM THE WORDPLAY WARRIOR"

Alright, so here’s the straight-and-narrow path that everyone in Indonesia is expected to go through (especially if you’re a woman):

Born and raised —> going to school —> getting a job (at least in your early twenties or younger) —> getting married (hopefully before thirty) —> having kids, and so on. Oftentimes, external factors (in this case: family, friends, and society in general) also push the whole agenda to fall into place.

Yes, that includes practising the religion your parents also do - and automatically choose for you. Other ‘normalised’ factors include: dating and having a boyfriend/girlfriend, making as much money as possible, and…basically, trying to fit in.

However, things don’t always turn out the same for everybody. Some people want to get married soon while others still want to get their masters’ degree or travel the world. Some choose to have a career while others only work.

Some live longer while others die young. Not only that, the supposedly straight-and-narrow path is only a general expectation. There are many factors that can either support or hinder it.

You could choose to work first before a chance to attend college/university classes. You could get married at the age of 35 or do none of that at all, either by personal choices or else.

You could lose your faith under circumstances along the way. It’s the same with many things: people don’t reach their goals with the same speed or pace, or determination.

No, I don’t believe in luck. Luck is often overused out of envy or superiority, and neither is healthy.

This is the world where anything goes. The path isn’t as straight and narrow as you’d like it to be. Sometimes you have to take a detour, several wrong turns, or…

Anyway, life is a series of curvatures. Perhaps order is an illusion, for a sense of self-control…

R.