the story of me and my old man

 
I have to blog this. Not because I wouldn't want to forget, though, there is no chance I would forget something like this. But just to highlight its importance. Two days ago, my dad gave me his approval of my good driving, like: "hmm, you drive really well now." Finally. Awesome news. Yeah, this is a huge deal for me because I always try so hard when he's in the navigator seat. I also know he told my sister and brother the same sentence a long time ago. 
 
So I have been spending a lot of time alone with my father lately, since mum is gone to take care of sick Po Oca in Kupang. We go driving to Malang, have meals out, go swimming, play with Isaac and Louise, take Gran for walks, and even go to shop for things. (Seriously, I'm talking about my dad, the man who has never been into a supermarket for the last ten years. He has no clue what a department store should look like) I buy him delfi chacha or silverqueen chocolates in exchange for cigarettes. Dad hasn't smoked for about two months; this time he's finally really quitting it.
 
While the endless power lines hypnotise us, we talk and talk and talk. Many interesting things were discussed while driving on the road. About driving, about people, mostly about life and risks.

If life was a dark haunted house, risks are the spider webs that are always creeping and hanging about all over the place. We can't step into any direction without facing them. Should it be the left turn, or the right turn? Take the risk, or stay still and leave things the way they are.

In life I find that on some good days, I go with the flow - everything stays safe and pleasant, like being tucked in and protected by a hundred soft layers of silk. On some other good days, I take a risk to do differently - and get results that catapult me high above fluffy rainbow coloured clouds. But life never quits being an ass to us all; sometimes I take the risk and regret whatever I lost in the process, and sometimes I don't take the risk and regret losing the opportunity anyway.  
 
Here is an inspiring article I found the other day through twitter; I find it hard not to share it. Written by a lady who works with dying people - she talks to them and compiles their biggest regrets.
 
http://www.inspirationandchai.com/Regrets-of-the-Dying.html
   
24 years young, I hopefully still have a long way down the road. But already, I can relate to at least four of the five regrets written in the article. Not exactly the comforting idea to be starting another week of work tomorrow.
 
However, the next couple of months will be the last of what life I lead now. There will be a lot of changes taking place, for it is time to steer to another direction. And this time I am better prepared for whatever life catapults my way. (Yeah, my wording in this post does reflect how much I've been playing chrome.angrybirds.com on the 100% Indonesian product Zyrex Wakatobi Mini touchsreen netbook - it's what I'm using to type right now. Trying to predict whether Windows still has hope against Apple and the upcoming attack of the Androids.. Hmm