The Cafetaria at Lunch Time in FMIPA-UGM, My Prior University’s Social Center: Thinking about Happiness

            Someday I was very tired with my routines and activities in campus, and that day was my busy day. While I was walking to my parking lot to go home, I changed my mind and decided to visit my most favorite place to refresh my mind. Somehow, this place is not like people’s thinking. It is only a food court in the middle of science-engineering area of my university. Actually this place is very crowded, but it is the favorite place for medical, engineering, and science student to spend their break-time. I always feel that it is a good place to find inspiration. Next to this place lies the Biology Forest. It is quite big forest in the middle of the city. You know that the air is mostly fresh because of that forest. Besides it, you can find many foods offered there with a good price. I came there and tried to find an empty seat in the corner. I am looking around, and WOILA, I got it. What blessed I am! I walked with high speed to reach that seat in order to not let it lost. Relieve was when I could sit there peacefully. After a while breathing, I try to think about every problem I have to face. I started questioning myself: “Are you okay?” “Are you happy?” Suddenly I remembered that I have to look around to realize what I have had. By looking others, I may think about what they are thinking, and I will know what I am thinking about. This is the way to know myself better, to be happy.

            I sat in the corner of the food court reading my favorite book. That book was Geography of Bliss. It’s telling a lot about happiness. After more than an hour I read that book, I started to look around me. First my eyes run into the teenagers who were sitting next to me. Because they were really close to me, I could listen what they were talking about. They discussed about national test that will come over by this April. They started to open their book, debated about equations, theories, and tricks. How they could be like that? They weren’t panic and figured it out by studying. At least I could learn something from them: to be grateful and do something to solve my problem.

            After I got something from those special teenagers, I looked around and stopped my observation to the couple who were sitting in front of me separated by one line. The girl was sitting in a silent, and the boy was doing so. I jumped into my judgment; perhaps they were thinking about their own feeling. Maybe they were thinking about their relationship or thinking about what they should do to make their pair happy. I never know. But the only thing I knew was: after a while, the girl smiled, and the boy did the same.  From the couple in front of me I learned about how mysterious the power of smile is.

           

             Then I started to throw my scene far away from my place. I saw a man was little harassed. He was sitting next to his friend, enemy, or partner? I don’t know. But for a few minutes they were debating, they smiled together. I never know what their problem is. Once again, I could learn about forgiving is the way to solve the problem between two or more human beings. I was questioning myself again: “Have I forgiven others that sin against me?” From them I learned a lot about happiness of forgiving.

            Next to them, there was a bathroom where the cleaning servant stood by waiting for a job. I saw that he was a professional man who never gives up. Sometimes he was mumbling, I guessed he just sang his favorite song. I was surprised because he just kept to be strong and perhaps happy in his condition. I could see his little smile. I was not sure he was truly happy or not. But the important is he tried to be happy. From him I knew that happiness needs effort.

            People comes, people go, and I jump into my mind who was sitting in the corner of that food court, alone. I was not doing anything, but I was running to catch my wavelength. Several times before I felt sad, I never thought about feeling grateful of everything I’ve had. I felt tired because of my activities, routines and problems which have to be solved. I was trying to run out of my troubles, but being there, at the food court’s corner makes me realize my accomplishment. I should be grateful! There is no another way to be happy unless I set my mind to keep struggling, smiling, forgiving, doing much effort and saying “Thanks God for all I’ve had” “Thanks God I am happy!”

            Suddenly the miracle came, and I felt free, happy, and ready to face my problems. It’s literally like Frederick Keoning quotation: “We tend to forget that happiness doesn’t come as a result of getting something we don’t have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have”.