I had lived once in one-coloured-shirt village. In this village there was only one colour. Everybody was wearing their one-coloured shirts throughout their life. They was wearing them every time and every where they went. I had wore the same one-coloured shirt once, but then I got bored, and when I wore a shirt with another colour, the villagers told me to leave their village because I had trespassed. I was bored anyway so I took off.
I soon moved into a big city where there were many different coloured shirts around. The city was big, so it was not a problem if I kept changing my shirt with different colour. Of course, there were some who had asked why were you changing your colours every so often. I just shrugged and said that I was bored. Things were running very smoothly in the city until one day, a certain coloured shirt users began to preach that another coloured shirt users are not allowed to pass their areas. Of course, it was a minor incident; the other parts of the city were still tolerant.
I had many friends using different coloured shirts; although each one of them was wearing the same colour throughout, I did not mind. But when I got bored again and started to wear polka dots and stripes, some of them began to distance themselves. I did not mind. Still others tried to talk me out of using the polka dots and the stripes. I asked them why would they use the same colour throughout their life, and they answered that they would be rewarded if using the same colour throughout, and that they would be punished if using a different colour. I did not want to ask by who because I had already knew the answer, but sometimes I liked to tease them and asked the question anyway.
I said to them the more important thing was what they were thinking and doing in their life, and those same-coloured shirts were just clothing. I said to them that there were many variations, not only in colours but also in patterns, cutting, etc. Well, some of them would strongly disagree saying there could never be such things, still the others just shrugged. I would leave them alone at this point. I did not mind.
Lately I had seen a new trend in the city. Some citizen were starting to be more moderate in their clothing; they were starting to use symbols and badges. Although these were barely noticeable from the distance, it was a daring moves. I smiled and said to myself , “There is Hope.”
I AM Helmy Kusuma
Spiritual Healer/Writer
