They say time flies. A good half of 2011 has indeed whizzed by. The past two months have been particularly life-changing (sounds cheesy but it’s actually true) – I’ve attended my first street rally, first candlelight vigil, and first court trial. Two months ago I contracted the spirit of LoyarBurok-ness and stepped into the realms of the rakyat center in Bangsar as LB’s first ever intern.
In a general context, people don’t understand why and how LoyarBurok requires an intern. They asked:
“Did they ever even request for an intern? Are you at the center every day? Does Edmund pay you?”
The answers are, I’m not at the center every day and am not paid, nor do I wish or expect to be. Instead I am beholden and glad I spotted the tweet suggesting the need for an intern because I’ve learned a lot ever since receiving the title of LoyarBurokker! Its has marked a turning point in life for several reasons.
It is, I believe, the first time I am actually committed to something. If you know me personally, you’d be aware that I live by the touch-and-go principle; usually because I get weary, bored or just plain disillusioned (something which is rampant among youth in today’s society). Here at LB I find that I have a purpose, people and projects I can identify with and take on. It keeps me grounded and sane, in a sense.
Also, I realize constantly that learning is a lifelong journey. One thing leads to another: when you know one, there are so many relevant others that surround it, so many facets to be explored and tinkered with. The moment one can put aside the notion that he is a know-it-all, is a defining one. It frees the mind, broadens horizons and gives room for unbridled ideas and opinion.
I must admit that challenge, however uncomfortable, is a necessity for personal progress. One does not go far – or go anywhere, for that matter – when comfortably and safely ensconced in his bubble of familiarity. Perseverance builds character, sufferance precedes rewards, fortitude builds greatness.
Perhaps I wouldn’t be where I am right now, in my current state of mind, had I not known of LoyarBurok’s existence. Perhaps I’d be just another nineteen-year-old conformist bumming around in malls, being oblivious to world realities and poking insults at whatever I classify as crap. No don’t get me wrong, I’m not placing all nineteen-year-olds into a cage of such wretched descriptions. I’m just sayin’.
And I’m also just saying that I’ve found a purpose, a cause, and a positive tug that will pull at me for life. Y’know what they say: once a LoyarBurokker, always a LoyarBurokker.
Because it’s fun. Because I am still learning something new every day.