February in melody

We’ve got 942 friends on Facebook, but when was the last time we spent an afternoon sitting in High Park with one of them? - Carl Honore

I think Carl Honore is a modest person. My Facebook friends are 2269 in total. Not to mention there are 245 friend requests on my pending list. And I’ve never been a popular kids back then in school or university. All I have to do to get more friends is to accept, accept, accept. Super easy!

But who are my real friends? Who are the people who I call to spent time (and waste money) on the weekend? Who are the people I reach out whenever I need a helping hand? Who are the people who I consult to when I think about a big decision?

Friend is like money, you know? We don’t think about it when we have plenty. But when we’re lacking, we feel miserable.

I’m not good on making new friend. Once, a friend of mine said that I was too selfish. If there’s a course on friendship, I would likely to take it. But lucky me, amidst the struggle of adapting in a new place I figured out there is a friend of mine from middle school who lives in Bali for the past 2 years. I chat him on Facebook (thanks Facebook!), and we spent the next couple of weekend wandering beaches and cafes around.

We talked about consistency. How he was surprised I was still the same not-talking-much girl as I used to be. He said that we are those people who stay true to ourselves. With social media (and the internet) being free microphone, some people seemed lost and become someone else in the online world.

And I begin to question myself. Am I being honest on social media? Do I only publish positive things among the other chaotic mess on my life? Do I need to share the worst part of me as well?

But then the ultimate question is, why should I? Why should I tell the world every tiny bit of my life? Why should I let the world know when I’m having a good time? Do people really care about it? What am I looking for? Likes? Hearts? Comments?

My friend is here with me. He was showing me a good place to catch sunset here in Bali. As we sit on the bench waiting for the sun to decend, I think of all the good friends that enrich my life. We don’t need the social media to prove our existence. I am here, with my friend sitting in a high park.

I don’t need the other 2268 friends right now. Because like material possessions, we don’t need many of them to create a happy life. We just need enough. And I need to thank God at this moment. Even though I can’t afford love, at least life provide me with a good friend..