Text © 1996 - 2003 Nin

I think the sign that shows you are getting old isn't the summary of what you now easily forget, but how easier you are to forgive, including, or especially, yourself.

But my observation is largely based on the menagerie of Indonesian reps inside the labyrinth of parliamentarian politics, so maybe it's several thousand miles away from being good, sensible or sane and closer to Christina Aguilera's idea of dressing up. However, the thing works for me; I mean I acutely feel how one more day of my life is gone because I increasingly become easier to forgive, including, or especially, myself.

In effect, the list of things that I dislike is now slimmer than it was yesterday. I even let my cat to sleep during a football match on TV. But (there's always a "but") my sister said I'm even loonier than myself, so my list still comprises of things no one else finds worth disliking.

First, there are things whose existence is lamentable, though the opposite of God probably intends to keep them there forever. Sports other than football, for instance. Especially the so-called 'American football', which is a painful ordeal that necessitates Asian, Latin American, African and European Christians to subscribe to the Messiah-related beliefs. Baseball is endowed with the similar quality or the lack of such. Basketball is, too, and golf surely isn't sport unless you have lost what it takes to have some healthy dose of sex. All of them are the antidote of good taste in fashion. I sacrificed a lot to let someone actually wearing the NY Knicks whatever (it doesn't fit into my idea of a thing called 'shirt') in my house -- this test of tolerance shouldn't be attempted ever again. I'm only human. A normal human would grab the nearest axe next time she sees the NY Knicks stuff around.

Bathups are my everlasting objects of dislike, too. It defies every notion of sensibility in my mind that some (a lot of) people really believe in taking a bath for two hours, immersing in tubs, while they never spent a whole day working in some colossal projects like rebuilding the statue of Liberty, reconstructing Russian economy, or whacking Microsoft Corp in court. Those who need to stay long in bathups are New York City's construction workers and laborers of an Indian factory; but these people never got the chance. Instead, part-time insurance salesmen and middle-aged suburban housewives do it without any reason.

Whew, my list is still so long! I, and most of all you, have no time to do it now. So here are just a little of other things I don't like besides junk food, coke, reptiles, flowers, ice cream and chocolates:

• Senseless debates. Arguing is for or against something. If you are neither, at least don't snore.
• Loud t-shirts -- the ones with words in several gigawatts' worth of attention to punch everybody except the wearers right in the eye. If you don't have any word of your own, do the planet some favor -- wear a plain t-shirt and shut up.
• Emotional dependency. There's nothing more nonsensical than expecting other people to make you feel good, including to feel good about yourself. If what I say and do determine your feeling for the day, what is that to me? Oh, I forgot. You only mind you, right.
• Floaters. Just remember that most of the time it is you who isn't fit into the job and not the other way around.
• Vegetarianism. I simply can't think of why, if God intended everyone to subsist on nothing but salad, human beings exist at all. Rabbits are cute and they don't do political riots.
• Alcohol, drugs, and all kinds of hallucinogenic substances -- including cheap fantasies stealthily downloaded at work when the supervisor isn't looking.
• Those who can't understand that most of the time there is no difference whatever between feeling like a damn fool and being one.
• Nepotism. If your boss is also your father, none of you two qualifies for the jobs.
• Indiscriminate, lavish and frugal use of the word 'happiness'. Happiness is a myth. Not getting annoyed, mad, and disgusted is real.
• Tonic water. It is either water or isn't.
• Science-fiction. The fiction isn't scientific and the science is fictional. You can't be cool (smart) and loving Star Trek (Austin Powers) at the same time.
• I don't trust anything that can get turned on without electricity.
• Keeping 'good books' doesn't make anyone an intellectual. Especially when those books were only acquired yesterday at 3 P.M. and quickly arranged before the guests arrived.
• "I want to fly away" or any other way to say that you can't stand your life (i.e. yourself). If you feel like flying away from your life, think of the airfare.
• Inability to thank whichever god there is for the good things we have. Isn't it obligatory to think once in a while why there is anybody at all who seems to love you?
• Slow-thinking mammals. For some, the way to enlightenment is some brain-concussion, and the path to understanding requires a surgeon.
• Stupidity. The world's tragedy is caused by the fact that wise men keep saying they aren't smart enough and the foolish keep insisting that they're not stupid. Nothing works against stupidity, unless you consider AK-47.
• The last people that should have kids, who, alas, are always the first to do so, and they invariably get twins.
• Ignorant, careless or silly statements about how open-minded you are. If you call the black woman you saw crossing the street yesterday your sister, you are not open-minded. You have cataract.
• 1). Waiters are unable to understand your orders. 2). You want to talk dirty in bed. 3). Forget it.
• Tomatoes. They should have come in neat little bottles. Just because God has a patent over mysterious ways, doesn't mean we should then put up with tomatoes as they are.
• Turkey, as in 'fowl'. I believe these creatures really must be shot, but not to be eaten.
• And I harbor some infinite hatred of Poverty. But it loves me.