"A LOUD 'POP' IN THE MORNING..." in "THE WORDPLAY WARRIOR: Writing for The Unheard Voices"

Sometimes, it takes a loud ’pop’ in the morning to wake all of us up. Waking up is more than just opening your eyes and living your life.

It’s about a sense of awareness. There’s an element of fear that can neither be avoided nor ignored. Fear can still be controlled, though. Sometimes it’s good and necessary. It helps you to learn to be more alert, reminding you how to be more vigilant. No need to care if some may view you as paranoid. This is how you value life, either yours or others.

Especially if it’s the lives of your loved ones.

Speaking of loved ones, why do we often let our busy schedules get in the way? When do we get to meet them? How much time do we spend hanging out together with them, before it’s too late?

Just a loud ’pop’ in the morning, right on the side of the main city street. Shots rang out during the light traffic of that day. Cold-blooded murders. It could happen to us or anyone we might know, anytime and anywhere.

We know just how much we love the people we love, especially after something like that occurs. We start frantically searching for them - calling on their cellphones, texting them…anything. Making sure they’re still okay, alive and well. Watching the news, hearts beating fast as we carefully scan the list of the victims that very day. Breathing a sigh of relief at the sight of unfamiliar names, despite still sympathizing.

That loud ‘pop’ in the morning had been a wake-up call. Nowhere is completely safe. Fear is real. Feeling it doesn’t make anyone a coward, ever. It’s a sign of how one, anyone values life.

Life is short. Value yourself and your loved ones too, so there’s no need to wait for another ’pop’ to wake all of us up.

**R.

(Jakarta, 16/1/2016 - 10:00 pm)
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