That place, where it once originated.

We see a lot of interesting topics being discussed in the SEMESTA86 mailing list, though most of them revolved around the Anniversary Dinner which is scheduled to be on the 26 August 2006. However, an e-mail from Dr. Rae (of late, famous for his 'controversial' and mind challenging topics) "invited" me to post my thought in this blog.

It read:

"Have u ever thought about this...why we seems to appreciate our secondary school teachers more than our other teachers....primary schools and higher learning institutions. Is it because we were in boarding schools, trapped for five years with nobody else to turn to. Ironically, the time that we spent with our teachers was similar to the time our friends in the daily schools spent with their teachers, except, of course for our beloved wardens who naturally not in the favourite list anyway. How many of us had really expressed out our appreciation to our lecturers the day we left our uni. How many of us still remember our lecturers. How many of us would want to go back to our previous uni alumni fuctions."

Then he continues:

"Perhaps it is not the teachers that matters, not even the schools, it is actually our friendship that make us crave for such bonding again. We'll do everything to nurture the place where the friendship had once originated..."

Well wrote.

Somehow I feel that he has answered that big question that has always been bugging me all this while: What is our common ground, having left the school for around 20 years now, that is keeping us all in unison? We followed our own ways since then and we have charted our own destinations. Yet, we can still feel that emotional bond between us, everytime we get together.

Su (Ateh) replied beautifully;

"...I agree it's the friendship that make us really want to go back (to the Anniversary Dinner) but without the school there will be no existence of the friendship..."

And to that, Along added;

"...(the school) is the place where we actually grow up. I don't know about you guys but I think everything that had happened in that 5 confined years, be it good or bad, actually contributed a lot to who we are today, for better or worse.."

Psychologists says that we discover our identity in our teen years. We had spent the formative years together, in rain or shine, and I believe, it had moulded us into who we are today.

Rae obviously did not end his e-mail without a thought-provoking question:

"Not that our teachers are longer there, not that the wall still painted with our names, not even the school's name persisted. So, why my friends... why should I thank the school again, what more giving money to make a wakaf. Can anyone give me some insight so that I can feel the money given are worthier than donating to masjid or rumah anak yatim"

To that, Along responded quite appropriately;

"I (also) think that it is above us to say one deed is worthier than the other. As usual it is our niat which is important. I guess, if it is used for a good cause, InsyaAllah we willl have a share in the reward. Selesalah sikit adik-adik kita tu berjumpa dengan keluarga dia orang. Who knows, entah-entah satu hari nanti kita pulak gi jupo anak kita kat wakaf tu."

Derma kita biarlah ikhlas, niat kita untuk kebaikan. Walaupun kita merancang untuk "memahat" nama2 kita di wakaf itu, namun, ini sekadar untuk memberi semangat kepada generasi sekarang dan masa hadapan, untuk tidak melupakan tempat dimana lahirnya persahabatan, dan sebagai insentif untuk mereka juga kembali berbakti bila mereka keluar nanti.

So, my friends, let us all contribute whatever we can, to nurture the place, where our friendship had once originated...