Your Own Path

It's 2026. I can't believe that I am in my mid-30s, closer now to the age of 40 than to 30! Despite this physiological facade, I am still a child at heart. (Aren't we all?) I am still that Chindo male who is enamored of the fascination brought by the dinosaurs, who is mesmerized by the celestial nature of Jay Chou's musical creations, and who is engrossed by the beauteousness of the English language. This is related to what I'm going to discuss in this article.

Photo by Jack Skinner on Unsplash

In a world that presents countless ideas, ideals, ideologies, etc., we can be overwhelmed by the sheer number of those surrounding and pelting us. The advent of the internet has enabled unprecedented global interconnectedness, which inevitably gave rise to potentially unstoppable data consumption for humans. Travel has become unbelievably easy, allowing one to hop from one continent to another in a matter of hours, providing an endless platform for cultural exchanges. While there is undoubtedly positivity coming out of this, if we are not wise enough, it can lead to some sort of existential giddiness – you don't know how to stand, you don't know what to do, and ultimately, you don't know who you are.

Thus, in my view, life is about setting priorities and sticking to them. With the ridiculously strong maelstrom of choices, options, or alternatives, we have to decide which one(s) are worth devoting our energy, time, and effort to. Nobody can do everything, but everybody can do something. That something is what we need to focus on and what should direct and guide us in our lives. Pick something, be content with it, and follow it will all your heart. Everybody has their own role and this separation is something we should greatly and gleefully celebrate as humankind.

If you are a frequent visitor to my blog or have been following me on social media for a while, you may be aware that I've been crazy about the indescribable mystic Osho relatively lately – I've read two books by him (The Book of Understanding and Life Is a Soap Bubble) and am currently reading another two. Here is an enlightening quote from one of them, entitled Earthen Lamps: "A person can only be himself. It is impossible to become like someone else." Aren't these true words? You will never become somebody else, no matter how hard you try. If you do, you'll get exhausted and eventually run out of your life energy. The greatest delight can be attained only if you follow your own path. Preserve your quiddity, indulge in it, and become your true self.

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A Reflection on Death

My dad has just passed away. At the age of 67, after battling liver cirrhosis for many years, he finally succumbed to the medical condition. My relationship with him would not have been described as best; we had a multiple-year-old feud until recently, when we naturally made it up. One thing I will never forget is the fact that he took me on his motorcycle to Jay Chou's first concert in Jakarta back in 2013, for which I am infinitely grateful. (Thank you, Dad! 🙏🏻💙✨)

My late father, Hendry Budiman, resting in his casket in Husada Funeral Home, Mangga Besar, Jakarta (photo taken on May 1, 2025)

A portrait of my late father, Hendry Budiman (photo taken probably on May 3, 2013)

Despite our not-so-close relationship, I couldn't prevent myself from shedding tears. I think it's perfectly natural for us humans to cry for a deceased person who has been with us for a long time; their departure from life is a natural tearjerker. This was certainly a sad moment for me and my family, and I would like to thank everyone who expressed their love and support during the bereavement period. 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

The death of my direct male progenitor has consequently shoved me into a state of reflection. That day would and has come. My father has ceased living in this world, completely losing consciousness and transforming into nonliving matter. This serves as a poignant reminder of the ephemerality of our lives. Our time on this planet is incredibly short, and the clock is continuously ticking, unable to be stopped. Conscious of this fact, we need to get our act together, before it is too late. Sing, dance, travel, smile, play, love, explore, ... the list is endless. Do what you want while time is still available, and relish the present to the fullest because now is the most important moment of all. This is the essence of the Stoic practice of memento mori; the great philosopher Epictetus instructs us to "let death put everything in perspective".

Death can seem odious and petrifying. The thought of having your mind shut down and your existence zapped can certainly drive you nuts! However, if we take a helicopter view of life, we can see it through a completely different lens and stop being neurotic. Dr. Kenneth Lacovara points out in his interview with FRANCE 24 English: "Everybody dies. That's what people do. That's what organisms do." It is just part of the workings of nature. Rather than lamenting this biological phenomenon, I think it is prudent to "celebrate" it as a fact of life. Dwelling in romanticization will bring about more bad than good. Reality will not change through wishful thinking: facing up to it is the only way.

I would like to conclude this article with words from the preeminent guru Osho Rajneesh:

"I do not want life to be taken seriously. Seriousness is a kind of psychological disease. Life has to be a fun. Life has to be a rejoicing, a dance, a song, a love affair. In such a small life, being serious is simply wasting the opportunity. That's what I mean when I said it is a circus; it should be everywhere a circus, and we should turn everything in playfulness. But people are so heavy and long-faces, and so burdened and carrying loads on them. And life is so short, soon you will be reaching to your grave. Before reaching to the grave, have a little dance, a little drink."

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Quote #122

"Silent moderates are (at least partially) responsible for the action of violent extremists." - Klinsman Hinjaya

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Quote #120

"Simply staying alive may be a monumental achievement far too often overlooked." - Klinsman Hinjaya

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It's Not the End of the World

The title of this article is a cool-sounding English idiom that is used to assure someone that a "problem is not as bad as they think" (Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English Online). This expression is efficacious at executing its task because it 'intelligently' compares one's predicament with the worst possible of all: Doomsday. The fact that this can be found in major dictionaries is a testament to its effectiveness as a lexical item. Nonetheless, something in it has tickled my philosophical mind.

What if it IS the end of the world? Imagine the earth is on the verge of being pummeled by an asteroid vastly larger than the one wiping out non-avian dinosaurs. Or some sort of zombie apocalypse being underway, slowly but surely exterminating our very own species, Homo sapiens. These are highly hypothetical, but scientifically speaking, we are on a trajectory toward the inevitable demise that is patiently awaiting us far, far away temporally. Facing such a potentially petrifying reality, what should we do? I turn to Stoicism for the answer.

The ancient philosophy provides us with a potent tool for achieving a sense of inner peace: amor fati. This Latin expression translates as 'a love of fate', which is self-explanatory. This Stoic practice teaches us to love whatever happens, getting rid of the mental resistance that is only holding us back in life. Sh*t happens (and coprolites happened): this is the reality of life. We need to wholeheartedly embrace our fate, accepting that it is the best that could have happened and harboring no regrets whatsoever. Stoic philosopher Epictetus encapsulates amor fati brilliantly: “Do not seek for things to happen the way you want them to; rather, wish that what happens happen the way it happens: then you will be happy.“ Practicing amor fati makes it possible for you to experience the fullness of happiness and ataraxia.

Ergo, whether it is the end of the world or not the end of the world doesn't matter. Let's just devote our time, energy, and attention to the present moment, making the most of we currently have with love, passion, and gratitude. I would like to end this article with a profoundly mindset-changing quote on death from the doyen of science communication, Richard Dawkins:

We are going to die, and that makes us the lucky ones. Most people are never going to die because they are never going to be born. The potential people who could have been here in my place but who will in fact never see the light of day outnumber the sand grains of Arabia. Certainly those unborn ghosts include greater poets than Keats, scientists greater than Newton. We know this because the set of possible people allowed by our DNA so massively exceeds the set of actual people. In the teeth of these stupefying odds it is you and I, in our ordinariness, that are here. We privileged few, who won the lottery of birth against all odds, how dare we whine at our inevitable return to that prior state from which the vast majority have never stirred?

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Quote #111

"Oftentimes being insouciant is merely a matter of decision." - Klinsman Hinjaya

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Have to

It's 2024! I am beyond grateful to still be alive and kicking at the present moment and able to continue relishing the glory emanated by the dinosaurs, English language, and Jay Chou. Some moment ago, the hardwiring of my brain produced an idea of carefully examining the simple phrase which is this post's title: have to. This two-word expression might look simple, but, I believe, the impact it makes on a human's life can be absolutely profound and far from negligible.

The expression have to denotes obligation. It shows that something is necessary and not doing so would mean something negative ensues. For the most part, obligation is indeed positive; it can establish peace and order, with which humans can thrive. However, I think we sometimes need to rethink this concept of having to do something, simply because perhaps we actually do not have to do it.

An example that springs to mind is marriage. So many people allow themselves to be bound in this romantic relationship such that it seems obligatory for humans to take wedding vows at some point in their lives. But is it? Does everyone have to place themselves in such a commitment? Does getting married ensure one lives an ideal, happy life?

Let's turn to lifestyle. Well-to-do people may cause some to drool over their luxuries and extravagance. But then a question arises: Do people have to be wealthy? Of course, nobody can be genuinely content with their lives if they are impecunious, but Stoicism says that in order to have peace of mind, you just have to be able to afford the basic necessities.

We could contemplate this eviternally. Do I have to reach the position of a director? A president? Do I have to have a child? Children? Do I have to buy a PS5? A Pagani? Do I have to possess a toned physique? A long, pointy nose? Do I have to travel to Japan? Study in the US? Live in a mansion? And the list infinitely goes on and on...

No single human is exactly the same as the other. We come from different backgrounds and have different tastes and preferences. Your have to might be different from my have to. This is not a one-size-fits-all matter. Many people may be surprised that they actually have far fewer have to's than there appear to be. Probably what we really have to do in life is simply become more recalcitrant. ;)

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Quote #110

"A profound way to improve yourself is to regularly and consistently scrutinize your own thoughts, beliefs, and positions minutely." - Klinsman Hinjaya

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Quote #108

"Acceptance of imperfection is a prerequisite to perfection." - Klinsman Hinjaya

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Quote #106

"It is perfectly fine to be content with being ordinary." - Klinsman Hinjaya

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My Life Now and Then

I'm writing this article at Quiznos Menteng, Jakarta, a superbly cozy eatery which I would recommend to anyone seeking a perfect place for delectable food and great relaxation. Sated after gulping down an eight-piece pizza, I am sitting by myself in the spacious restaurant, contemplating my life at present and in the past.

Pardon my narcissism. 😋

When people hear the word "Chindo", they probably picture a well-off person whose parents own a successful business. They don't need to think about how to keep their head above water, being immune from financial suffering or agony. I believe there are a great many people of my ilk who match the above description, hence the stereostype; however, I'm not one of them. Although my childhood wasn't completely abominable, I wasn't born with a silver (or bronze) spoon in my mouth. There were times of adversity, which any sane human being would not want to be in.

Nomadicity was a pesky thing in my childhood – my family had to move from one abode to another several times. There was a time when five of us (I have two older brothers) had to live in a relatively tiny room in a boarding house. As a result, there were probably two disastrous events where diseases spread in the family, affecting at least some of us and knocking the humans into gross health inconveniences. I'd say it was probably almost a borderline inhuman way of living.

My dad didn't have a permanent job and my mom was a housewife, so my family wasn't financially stable. I can't help but lament the fact that my mom had to work really hard, making and selling soy milk in order to bring home the bacon. Eating pizza was a luxury for us, simply because money was a rarity for us. My mom's blood, sweat, and tears is something I cannot possibly forget and will always be deeply thankful for.

Now things have changed quite a lot. Of course I'm not as wealthy as my music idol, the Taiwanese maestro Jay Chou, but at least, thanks to my lovely livelihood, I can devour a Subway sandwich without thinking much about the price. Now I have my own library comprised of multiple books which are right up my alley (take a look at my bibliotheca here) – thank heaven I have reached one of my dreams! My younger self wasn't as "lucky" as my present self (even my college education had to be financially supported by my aunts), but it was no problem, really. We can't choose what family we are born into etc. (it's a Stoic revelation), but we can choose to change the course of our lives. What will my future be like? No one knows. Until then I will do my best to pave the way for my life aspirations. 😉

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Quote #100

"Do not actively seek validation or recognition. They will naturally come to you if you are really valuable and deserving." - Klinsman Hinjaya

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Quote #87

"Running away from problems is not a solution. Take the triceratops by the horns because, ultimately, you have to deal with them." - Klinsman Hinjaya

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Financial Management

This post isn't about the whole business of financial management; it's rather about my way of managing my own finances. Whatever you do in this world, almost certainly you have to deal with money, simply because the monetary system is firmly built in most societies. You can be an artist or a paleontologist, creating astoundingly beautiful works of art or making groundbreaking dinosaurian discoveries, but you'll still need money to survive on this minuscule cosmological speck of dust. Failing to make money AND sustain its existence would result in the eventual demise of the person in question, hence the super importance of financial management.

It is actually a colleague of mine who inspired me to create this piece of writing. A few days ago she unexpectedly asked me how I manage my finances. I did my best to explain it and she seemed to find my tips helpful. So, I thought to myself, "Why don't I share it with my blog readers?" And the rest is history.

Someone said that however much you earn, you are sure to have financial problems if you can't manage it. And I couldn't agree more with that. Having one million dollars is useless if you live a lavish, spendthrift lifestyle, whereas (depending on where you live) 400 USD may be enough to fulfill all your needs for one month. So, the first and most fundamental 'rule' is to change your mindset. Do you really need what you want to buy? Or is it just a mere whim, which would result in lamentable wastefulness? Having the 'right' attitude towards money is absolutely crucial.

Then comes my strategy for better organizing my money. For me, payday is not payday. (What the hail did you say, Q-Man? You ask.) The day when I receive my salary is just like any other days of that month, which means I won't spend it like crazy. I think of myself as earning an equal amount of money every day (or being paid daily) and that entails dividing my salary into roughly 30. This 'smaller salary' is then reduced by my daily fixed expenses (things like rent and my mom's share). And ta-da! That's how much I have for a particular day. Every day I try my best not to spend more than my 'right' – the less I spend, the better. Of course, there can be occasional bursts of spending but they should be limited and justifications must be provided if they occur.

To minimalize spending, I pay close attention to two key components: transportation and sustenance. In my experience, these types of expenses can bloat spending in an invisibly insidious way, so to speak. My normal transportation expense for a single working day is 7,000 IDR (round-trip bus commute), which means, assuming there are 20 working days in a month, I spend 150,000 IDR monthly. If I were lazy and opted for online motorcycle taxi transportation, I would spend roughly 40,000 IDR per day, which amounts to around 800,000 IDR per month! The difference is insanely huge! (Actually, I did use the more expensive travel option when the pandemic was much worse, because, well, it was the best choice available – health matters.) And this is not to mention food and drinks we consume. I hope this can give you a good sense of how our income can be 'stealthily' gnawed on by things sought by our pleasure-obsessed selves.

Does that mean I don't spend money on things like hobbies and interests at all? Of course not. I also allocate a monthly spending money budget – mostly for books. However, it is important to set a healthy and reasonable limit to ensure our continued existence on this planet.

Sticking to this scheme, I would manage to save a sizable percentage of my salary, which largely goes into my emergency fund – this should NOT be forgotten because who knows what is in store? There are innumerable things outside our control (pandemics are a good example), so it is certainly prudent to anticipate any trials or tribulations.

That's all for now! What do you think of my money management? Is it similar to yours? If not, would you like to implement it? Share your thoughts in the comments section below!

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Quote #73

"Always make a good impression on someone when you first meet them, and never make a bad impression every time you take leave of them." - Klinsman Hinjaya

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What Does It Mean To Be a Teacher?

This is a vitally important question for some of the billions of earthlings to answer – and that fraction includes me, a speck of cosmic dust which happens to be inhabiting the most populated island of the Indonesian archipelago. I have worked as a teacher of English, my most loved language of all, for over seven years and this has inevitably made me ponder and reflect, from time to time, on the role that I have been trusted to take. Teaching is my bread and butter, but, to me, it goes far beyond that. I wholeheartedly believe that being a teacher means much, much more than earning money to get by in life. The future of the planet very much depends on our collective action and in order to ensure the continuity of its existence and the advancement & protection of its welfare, what we sorely need are who I would call real teachers: those who put their best effort into enlightening the minds of the next generation for the common good – for all of us. Seen from this point of view, teachers are really saviors of the world. So, what does it mean to be a teacher? What things does it involve? I reckon the following elements are essential to making a real teacher:

1. Educator

Needless to say, this quality is indispensable to being a teacher. Teachers are meant to educate, and this requires them to possess a sufficient amount of knowledge or skill to diffuse to or instill in the students. A teacher who lacks expertise in their respective area simply will not make a significant impact, if any, on their students' lives. It is important to underline that teachers must strive to combat false information and that they also need to be highly creative to make sure that their delivery of a particular subject is effectively accomplished.

2. Motivator

Let's face it: Students can feel down and discouraged – well, they are human beings, aren't they? They may be having a serious family problem, or instead they may have been stuck on a math problem for long. Such situations can hurl them to the depths of despair; and this is when the subrole of a motivator comes into play. A teacher should be able to sympathize with and motivate their students to achieve their aims, making them rise and directing them to meeting their challenges. What is worse than seeing someone's potential left unfulfilled?

3. Example Setter

Teachers have to be role models for their students. Why so? Well, it is simply because students tend to imitate their teachers, just as kids do their parents. If a teacher tells their students to be punctual, but they themselves always arrive late, would that convince the students to be disciplined? If you are an English teacher, but you do not care about, say, capitalization when writing country or city names, don't you think your students would be slovenly too? Setting an example is a very powerful way to drive students to success in learning.

4. Inspirator

Setting an example is a must, but I think a teacher needs to go the extra mile. Be an inspiration to your students! There are endless things a teacher can do to launch their students to heights of excitement on their learning journeys. For example, if you are a music teacher, you might want to record videos of you showing off your brilliant skill at playing a musical instrument and posting them to social media so that the general public can enjoy it. This will get your students psyched about the performance and, hopefully, wanting to do such inspirational things themselves.

5. Friend

It is probably true that there is often an invisible but discernible gap between teachers and students. It is as if students are destined to respect their teachers from afar and their teachers are "untouchable", exclusively sitting on their "thrones". Although I agree that there should be limits to how teachers and students interact, developing a rapport with students is really important as it can enhance their learning experiences by leaps and bounds. As mentioned before, students are humans, so being able to, for example, share with their teachers would be greatly beneficial.

6. Learner

Finally, a teacher, just like everybody else, is essentially a learner. This certainly applies to the knowledge or skill in their respective field – for instance, an English teacher must keep abreast of the latest development in the language (new vocabulary, etc.). However, it can be extended into such areas as understanding the psychology of the students and new technology that can be utilized to make learning more fun and effective. Teachers need to always update their armaments to ensure that their students experience learning in the best way possible.

Thank you so much for reading up to this point! I hope this article is useful for fellow teachers and those considering entering the profession. Feel free to leave any comments below! 😊

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Quote #66

"Never ever will denial resolve a problem. Humbly locate the root and pluck it with your greatest force." - Klinsman Hinjaya

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Limitless Learning

His glass is full. Don't take this sentence literally. The metaphorical statement is a comment made on a student who apparently feels that the classes he joins are worthless. Regardless of what the real truth is, I would like to give my take on this attitude towards learning.

Firstly, let's make sure we understand the meaning of the "glassy" expression above. The glass can be thought of as the student's head, brain or mind, while the fullness represents the total amount of knowledge that occupies his cranial space – no room left. But it's not only that. The jam-packed state also implies the unwillingness to learn or acquire something new. It is commendable and even recommended that we carry all the bits of information and understanding that we have when we are engaged in a learning process, for example, in discussions – that's how civilization advances. However, this has to be accompanied with the grand, essential attitude of humility.

Humility underpins the success of education. When one thinks they know literally everything, that's when they impose a limit on themselves. This intellectual deception hinders progress of any kind and is a serious obstacle to our advancement, as an individual and as a society. This easily stems from the fact that no single person would ever possess a full, thorough understanding of the universe. Every person ever born on Earth experiences different things than anyone else (this is beautifully formulated in the first rule in Bill Nye's guide to doing everything all at once: Everyone you'll ever meet knows something you don't.), and this necessitates reliance and dependence on our fellow (wo)men, if we are to thrive in this world. This realization should lead us to being more humble and respectful to others, and thus, naturally, we should always provide room for learning from literally anyone, who together makes up an inexhaustible source of knowledge.

While we're on this topic, I would like to share my reading experience related to this with all of you. As some of you may already know, I'm currently reading a science book by the eminent evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins, whose title is probably one of the coolest ever in the history of book publishing: The Magic of Reality (to read my review, click here). In this book, there are at least a couple of instances where Dawkins states that he is not knowledgeable about a particular subject. To me, this is an exemplary act which shows how humility entails an admission of one's limits.

To end this article, I would like to sort of quote from a dinosaur book (I hope this sums up the contents of this article neatly). It goes something like this: Even if you think you know everything, there's always something new to learn.

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Ins(t)an(t)ity

This is a special day for me! Not only has my new bookrack come to my home and been neatly assembled (get ready for a second batch of multiple orders, Better World Books and Book Depository!), but my superbly cute, beloved nephew is also celebrating his 8th birthday today! Like avian dinosaurs, time does fly indeed – especially in these pandemic-stricken times. Nevertheless, this global health crisis should not hobble our precious productivity; therefore, since I have a sufficient amount of time available this day off of mine, I thought I would write an article to address a notion which is perhaps commonly propagated by those working in the marketing field.

I feel uneasy about an advertisement I saw one day, probably on Facebook although I'm not entirely sure (not about instant noodles though). It said something along the lines of "Speak English like a native speaker in 3 months!" or "Be fluent in English in 3 months with a money-back guarantee!" This sounds like a heaven on earth, doesn't it? Nevertheless, however enticing this language improvement offer is, how much truth actually lies in this sort of claim?

Despite the dubious legitimacy of the fully expressed form of the title of this post, I reckon that it is no sweat to work out the meaning which I would like to get across to my readership. For me, it seems to be a far-fetched idea that someone can accomplish such a linguistic goal in such a smidgen of time. The next couple of  paragraphs will detail my argument explaining why this is very likely unrealistic and unachievable.

Firstly, let's investigate this matter by taking a look at the most responsible organ for the learning activity: the brain. While I completely agree that the capacity of this jelly-like asset of ours is absolutely wonderful, we need to keep in mind that it is not "perfect" and does possess limitations. The evolution of humans has allowed such a remarkable contraption to equip us in 21st-century life, but it is not an über-powerful tool that we can employ to do anything we want. Think about the speed at which we process information and how much our brain can really retain. Think about the fact that our education system involves a good number of stages that we have to pass step by step, with the lower levels being prerequisites for the higher ones. Just like evolution itself, it is observable that graduality is a huge norm in our day-to-day life.

Now let's turn to our role models in regard to language abilities: native speakers. Did it take them only a couple of months to master their mother tongue from when they were born? Well, one could argue that the brain was not fully developed when they were babies, but if you think about it, it is the numerous years an adult native speaker has spent which imparted to them a whole armamentarium for native-level communication (lexical resource, grammatical range and awareness, etc.). A significant amount of exposure is definitely important to language acquisition and, admittedly, it is a privilege that native speakers automatically have – this should not discourage us from improving our proficiency in the target language, however.

I think it is safe to say that the same concept can be applied to not only language learning, but other areas as well. Promotional messages such as "Be the next Ade Rai in 6 months!" or "Master piano skills and outdo Jay Chou in 3 months!" sound alluring indeed although I probably have (almost) never heard such arresting utterances.

Of course, notwithstanding what I have laid out, I could be wrong. Probably those kinds of companies have devised super methods that enable their customers/clients to acquire a certain set of skills at lightning speed, as if defying the laws of nature. Could this involve some sort of lobotomy or otherwise advanced body modifications? If true, then it is very interesting and I would certainly love to know the mechanisms that make such mind-blowing attainment possible. I am also aware that humans are born with different innate traits and qualities, with a handful of them being extraordinarily quick at mastering skills. Thus, there is a caveat indeed.

That being said, rather than actively seeking for seemingly implausible ways to instantly crank up my English proficiency, I myself would prefer to stick with what I have always believed to be the fundamental values in learning – love, enjoyment, curiosity, and the like.

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Thoughts during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Something is severely afflicting humanity. The culprit is not a cascade of gigantic explosions of atomic bombs scattered around the planet or a global-scale war waged by a superpower country. Our current archenemy is a thing so small in size that our naked eyes cannot make out: a novel coronavirus with the official name SARS-CoV-2.

Most, if not all, of the countries in the world are presently being affected by this micro-entity, which, in huge numbers, causes a disease termed COVID-19. We are still battling this crown-shaped virus together and hoping to hurl the pandemic out of existence as soon as possible.

Indonesia is probably not one of the most heavily affected countries but it is still in the process of combating the pesky pestilence and Jakarta, the capital city as well as the country's economic hub, has been hit by the deadliest blow, with 2,335 confirmed cases and 241 deaths by Tuesday, April 14, 2020. As a denizen in this Homo floresiensis-yielding land who happens to reside in the metropolis, I have to practice social distancing and do my job by WFH. With all the haunting boredom and solitude, these days certainly are not the happiest in my life, but all of us need to unite and be responsible for not only ourselves, but also other people by following what authorities such as WHO advise and recommend, among which are washing hands properly and wearing masks.

During this quarantine period, a philosophical idea pierced through my brain with regard to the harrowing reality. We humans are fragile creatures, teetering on a precarious stage of life. A gust of wind such as this crazy little thing called the COVID-19 virus can make us tremble and topple over into the abyss of non-existence. We are certainly not a species endowed with an endless list of superior qualities; this global disaster really underscores how feeble we can be in the face of another resident of our planet.

Having said that, this should not discourage or even stop us from taking the necessary course of action to stamp out the predicament. If we are to survive as a species, our communal efforts to resolve this issue must be our top priority. We also have to give an enormous thank you and show great respect to all healthcare professionals, on whom we hugely rely to put an end to this worrisome situation. I believe many medical researchers are racing to develop a vaccine that can be used to halt this crisis too (let's keep our fingers crossed for its success). It is strongly urged that we give the required support to these people and the like who are scientifically involved in extirpating this dire state by whatever means we can employ.

The viral paroxysm is like a double-edged sword. It truly is devastating the human race by inflicting the disease on its members; however, it has also had a positive impact on Earth. For example, NASA stated that there has been a 30% reduction in the amount of air pollution in the Northeastern US due to some sort of lockdown imposed on the people living in the region. On a personal level, I feel that it is probably a moment to explore the many things that we could have done but haven't. Take reading for example. This is perhaps the dinosaurology, perhaps?). Look around your home; if it is a bit of a mess, you may want to clean it up and rejuvenate your domicile to a much fresher look. On a higher level, perhaps now is also a good opportunity to take a deep breath and reflect on your life more deeply: your achievements, regrets, ambitions, hopes, etc.

It seems to me that by the time this pandemic is over, a massive change will have occurred in the conduct of our society. Let's be hopeful that it will turn out to be positive, but the focus should be us ourselves because we, as always, are the assembling units: nothing more and nothing less.

Extra paragraph: Reading during this adverse situation reinforced my thought of how amazing the role that our imagination plays in our life. Our mighty brain processes the modest signals that we receive, whether they are ink impressions on paper sheets or sounds emitted by the vocal cords of our fellow humans, to create another realm of "reality" which we base our acts upon. This is, at least to me, absolutely mind-blowing and it is likely something many of us do not realize. Continue reading