An Article written by English Department Student, Gladys

The most frightening word it is when, why? Why the question is “When”? Why?
You have heard the questions like, “When are you going to graduate?”, “When are you getting married?”, “When are you going to have children?”, etc.

This word became one scourge that most do not want to be heard by many people, even for some people the word “when” is a frightening word. Although not all of them, but at least most of us, you may also be one of them who felt it. The series of word “when” seems to have no end, even though we have done a variety of word “when” that we’ve heard before, but there will always be the word “when” for the next, and so on. It seemed never exhausted to hear. So.. should we always get annoyed every time we hear the word of “when” came out of the mouth of someone who is around us?

NO, right?! Avoidance is NOT the right option!

But when we hear the word, one thing we do is avoiding the word. Especially when we are so upset or do not like something, then the most natural reaction and we often do is avoid it. It was indeed a very humane because nobody wants to be in the wrong place, right? The same thing will always do to avoid the word “when” that might just have been too often we hear. Not only from friends, but the word may always be ejected from those who are so close to us, like family and friends. We are reluctant and do not want to always be cornered with the same question of them, then we will often avoid to meet them on various occasions that we will not hear that word.

If we do this too often, then over time, we will be more willing to choose to not simply avoid contact at a meeting only. However, we might even become very rarely go to any event, although it is an important event for the family. We will look for any excuse to not attend, even though the reason sometimes too unreasonable, but we will continue to do it.

So.. STOP to do the things like this! Because we will lose a lot of precious moments with the people we love. Imagine how upset our family, especially our cousin that we did not attend the wedding ceremony or how upset one of our best friends who is looking forward to our presence at the graduation party. People who invite us probably not being avoided, but other relatives or friends who will be present at the same place on the show or event is exactly what we are avoiding. Then, what’s wrong they have invited us to the event? Has nothing to do, is not it?

IT’S ABOUT OURSELVES, NOT THEM!

SO… Do not always seek to run away from reality, even by always avoiding the word “when” that has been so closely on our hearing. If someone always asks it to us, then just think of it as a form of attention on what we are going through and experiencing today. We can also make it as a reference or motivate you to be more active to achieve something you have to accomplish. We should not be offended or angry when facing these questions, especially if it turns out we really are in a condition like that, for example: not yet graduated up to eight years, or even not have a spouse at the age which is almost forty years. Do not be afraid and even avoid it, we can answer it.

Respond to any of these questions with a relaxed and do not forget to ask them to pray for us, especially in relation to the questions that have not materialized. If they so have plenty of time to ask about it at every opportunity, it is very likely they also would not mind to just pray for us at every chance they got, right? So, take the positive side.