words cannot describe how much i love this place.
have you ever been into someone / something so deeply, that you get very attached to it, and no matter how stressful it is, you're still going to hold onto it, just because you love it that much?
yeah, i think this feeling is equivalent to the feeling when i was in a relationship.
as many other relationships, specifically the romantic ones, there were ups and downs, fights and make-ups, both of you could grow more by being with each other, but when the other half isn't the one that suits you, you're going to feel like you've been used, all the time.
this, is my best description of how people in this specific community relates to the community itself. if its a match, you're going to love it and willingly do anything for it. but when its not, well, some says that the community becomes a 'toxic place' that they no longer wanna be attached to.
for me, i thank God that, so far, it's been a match.
as a young adult who's also fighting my own version of midlife crisis, this community is my happy place. it restores my sanity, brings me joy, challenges me to do better, and expects everyone (including me) to be someone who 'could handle it all'. this community is not the one if you're looking for the 'all fun and games' cause, what i've been through are, mostly, struggles and hard works.
but thats why it is special, at least for me.
knowing my young-adult self, i never found myself comfortable hanging with people in my surroundings who spend most of the time for 'hang-outs' and 'act busy' (you know,, throwing yourself at every event and committee thingy for fame game and not receiving anything to learn from). maybe its a happy place for some, but not me. i realize that i dont have much time since i am responsible for my career and my study, so im really picky when it comes to my choice of activities (before the pandemic, of course). however, this community gives me everything that i want: bunch of friends who's in the same frequency as i do, a place to learn and improve my soft skills, a community that gives us opportunity to achieve more by giving more, and so on.
another reason (well, the MAIN reason actually) why i always think that i belong here on the very first place was that, it's always been a dream of mine, to be a part of this big community. i've dreamed of it since i was still in high school. back then, i waited for the time to prove that i actually belong here just like how i imagined it to be. and now, here i am, not regretting any choices that i've made.
this community somehow forced me to be the best-possible version of myself. it taught me leaderships, how to communicate with people of different ages and backgrounds, how to nurture a community till it feels like a family for all, how to be responsible for a decision that needed to be made real quick, and also how to think in such complex yet systematic way in the progress. i receive and learn SO MUCH by being in this community, but i've also sacrificed so much in order to achieve it all. and i regret nothing. all the sacrifices was worth it, since i am now a totally different person (in a good way) from where i was before here. for me, the qualities that i have now are lifetime investment.
to be honest, i do AGREE that not everyone is meant to be here. some says that you need to survive in order to stay in the community. as what i've been telling you, its not just all fun and games (and fame, too 😏). if you want to stay, you'll also need to accept that you're facing a long journey of progress and as we all know, there's no instant way to achieve something so great. if there's one thing that i learn from being involved in the community is that, if you wanna survive, not only in this community but almost every places you're going to, there are two things that you need to have: the love of the community (cause it creates your dedication), and the ability to adapt. the second one is, no doubt, easier said than done. but the truth is, being adaptive is the key to success (maudy ayunda said it too guys). you cant blame the changing situation, nor anyone that's involved in it. what you can do is to manage yourself; control your ego while be prepared for something new. if you refuse to adapt, you'd be stuck in your own state of mind and starts blaming everyone around you instead of taking control of your emotions (trust me there are lots of them here, i've seen it myself).
but lets skip the struggling part (cause its going to be a long ass paragraphs). despite all the hard works and stresses, most of the people in this community are what i will proudly call my true friends. the friendships inside this community are somehow pure and genuine, and not just based by shallowness like what i found in so many friendships nowadays. i thank God for the chance to meet these fun, crazy individuals and having them in my life are just the best thing. its true that we had lots of fights in the process, but look at us now. i still have the best people in my surroundings, and we've been through a lot of things together. those hard times made our bond even stronger than before, and im thankful for that.
well, i actually dont have much to say, since most of the memories are directly attached to my personal life. i just feel like i need to write this appreciation post to the community that we all love so much. and even in this pandemic, it still gives each one of us something to learn and grow. i love you so much that my words wont do it justice (but my dedication will 😜).
to end this post, im just going to attach some photos that represents some of my best moments in this community, with my favorite people. love y'all !
(maaaff kalau ada yg lupa ter include yaaa..)
xoxo,
Ned
