BE.YOU.

We have choices in our lives and we have the freedom to choose.

Talking about choices in our life, we have a lot. It is very complex.

Back to the time when I was in High School, I remember that my HS (including teacher, and friends) taught me a lot to be similar to other people, follow what is normal and completely will get bullied if want to stand out, be unique, be different or I can say you can be unique but you have to have a big mass that followed you and support you, or else again you are bullied and ended up feeling miserable just because you wanna be YOURSELF, sucks? I know.

However, looking back, that was almost a decade ago (wow I just realised that!) it makes sense that at that time so many things were not developed enough, considering back then there were fewer campaigns of anti-bullying, beauty in diversity, have our own styles, be yourself.  There were only a few campaigns, especially in 2012 we just learned how to sign up for Instagram, haha so old! Anyway, the point is back then there was no freedom to choose what we wanna be, being ourselves was sometimes misunderstood as “weird and freak”. Back then, I remember that I was forced to buy the same jacket, same t-shirt, same sweater, same polo shirt, same everything just to make everyone equal and maybe at some part also to gain money…. haha not gonna lie but that is the truth of school in Indonesia, we are forced to buy those things just because some people needs some money. Deep down, I hope the pandemic and school from home would help the students to have no social pressure to buy anything (same jacket, etc etc) since it is “school from home” anyway and everyone is suffering with money already. I hope this pandemic time will cut those tradition and culture from the school.

Back then, I was the one who was very very fussy when it comes to buying those things because I do not like the design, I hate the idea of following the status quo, and I just do not like the feeling of “should buy or if not you will look different from others” that idea sucks, really, such an unnecessary pressure to the young people which what they should focus is not that pressure to be similar but study and be better at the way they are thinking: critical, analytical, strategical thinking and the list goes on and on.

Being exposed to those cultures, I admit that I got dragged a bit by the way they are thinking, but again I still hold those idealisms today. Having chances to work in a Western company, and having international friends with different cultures made me have the assurance that we can be different and be ourselves. No need to follow the societal trend if that does not make sense or illogical. Freedom of choice is underrated in Indonesia, or maybe in my generation only?

I am glad that the generation now has so much freedom to express themselves, and hopefully, that would still be in a good way. Anyway, the point is that you have the freedom to choose what you wanna believe, be, and what you wanna do, as long as it has no harm to other people and yourselves, it is always right. Remember that! And I want you to know that it is okay to be different, embrace that and do not feel little if you are not walking with the big crowd behind you, because you never know that maybe you are ahead of them and maybe be their leader one day!

Be you, be proud of that.

You have the freedom to choose and be what you wanna be!

XOXO,

Martina Carissa