08012025

 


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I've managed to check off quite a few things from my wishlist lately.

And this - this is one of them.

Well, to be clear, my wishlist wasn't just about getting a hat. That would be oddly specific.

It just so happened that, once I achieved this particular personal goal, a hat came along for the ride - like an unexpected side effect. A freebie. A little surprise bonus. And somehow, it feels like the perfect trophy for that accomplishment.

This actually isn't the first time something like this has happened.


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Years ago, there was another goal I had, and when I finally reached it - won a competition and advanced to the next stage - I was handed a batik uniform. The official batik of the Bekasi regency contingent, reserved only for those who had earned the right to represent the region at the provincial-level competition. 

It wasn't just fabric; it was a symbol of trust, of recognition. That moment felt like being knighted by the city itself, draped in colors that carried the weight of a thousand hopes and the pride of home. 

That batik shirt became a kind of "trophy" too. Something wearable, memorable. A keepsake that carried not just colors and patterns, but a story.

The actual trophy from that competition? I never got to keep it. It had to be returned to the school. But that batik shirt? I could wear it any time I wanted. It was my personal badge of honor. A tangible reminder of hard work paying off.

…Until it vanished forever.

Long story short, my landlady confiscated it because I couldn't pay the rent. Yep. That batik trophy of mine is now a casualty of student-era financial struggles. R.I.P., batik.


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Okay, back to the hat.

So, I completed one of my major personal goals for 2024. One that had been sitting quietly on my wishlist for a long time. I was already over the moon about finally achieving it. But then, out of nowhere, they - the people I was working with - sent me a hat.

Not just handed over. Shipped across the Pacific Ocean. From America, with stopovers in Shenzhen, then Singapore… before finally arriving at a certain tiny house in Kampung Babakan.

It felt oddly ceremonial. Like the universe (via United Parcel Service, Inc.?) was saying, "Good job. Here's your hat."

Honestly, I didn't need the hat to feel proud. The achievement alone was enough. But this simple, unexpected gift became something more than fabric and thread. It became a symbol - just like that batik shirt once was.

A small thing, maybe. But meaningful.

Especially now that my batik is gone. At least this hat can be a new kind of comfort - a new memento for a new chapter.

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