How Special Are You?

[4/30] How Special Are You?

There was a scene on a 1979 movie Monty Phyton's Life of Brian that really did something to my mind after a friend reminded me of it yesterday. In that scene, Brian who was wrongly presumed for being a Messiah gave a one minute (or less) speech on how everyone supposes to discover their own way and stop following him.

Then I had this conversation with this friend.

Me: Did you imply that I could be that person who said: "not me"?

Friend: No. I was saying that not everyone is special. But you are of course.

Me: How come? I think everyone is unique their own way.

Friend: No, not everyone.

I do believe that as long as I keep doing my best living my life, I am an exceptional living creature. Means, I hold at least one reason to be significant. Intriguing? Yes. Complicated? No. I must be special in my parents' eyes but means nothing for a stranger on the train. I could be someone for the Turkish fruit seller close to my apartment that he often gives me some extra peach. At the same time, I am nothing to any random Rewe cashier guy. And the list keeps going...I did really want to argue furthermore regarding that matters because as this far this friend has never failed in surprising me with his hilarious way of thinking. Besides, this special-not special topic, as exciting as the proposition about privilege and equity. I have to wait, he is having an important physics exam soon so I would have to left him alone for a while.

If you have a not very usual taste of humor as this friend and me, I suggest you check this movie out. Either my laughter threshold is way too low or what, I was deadly laughing through the whole film.

* * *

Ada satu adegan yang membekas di kepalaku dari film Monty Phyton Life of Brian (1979). Kebetulan bersama seorang teman aku sempat membahas mengenai potongan film ini. Ini adalah adegan di mana Brian, si tokoh utama (ya jelas judulnya saja hidup si brian, ya kali tokoh utamanya si Biggus Dickus). Si Brian tiba-tiba punya banyak pengikut yang menyebalkan karena mereka salah menyangka Brian sebagai Messiah. Agar mereka berhenti mengikutinya, berkothbahlah Brian tentang bagaimana seharusnya kita tidak asal mengikuti orang lain karena pada dasarnya setiap dari kita adalah berbeda, istimewa.

Entah bagaimana aku dan teman ini malah berseberangan pendapat mengenai seberapa istimewa kita sebenarnya. Sementara menurutku setiap orang adalah unik dan istimewa, si teman malah menolak premis tersebut. Kadang-kadang aku merasa terganggu akan perbedaan yang reme temeh seperti ini, apalagi jika aku sangat yakin akan kevalidan pendapatku. Katakanlah bagi orang tuaku aku adalah istimewa (takut bertanya langsung, takut dijawab “enggak tuh” 😆), sementara tidak ada keistimewaan sama sekali bagi orang-orang asing di kereta. Aku bisa jadi pelanggan istimewa bagi penjual buah Turki dekat apartment, jika tidak, mungkin aku tidak akan sesering itu mendapat ekstra buah gratis. Di saat yang sama, aku cuma pembeli biasa bagi mas-mas kasir Indomaret (walaupun mereka rajin menawari pulsa). Dan seterusnya…dan seterusnya… Aku ingin sekali memperpanjang diskusi dengan temanku ini, karena kebetulan isi kepalanya hampir sama ganjilnya denganku dan sejauh ini kami masih berteman walaupun aksis pikiran kami sepertinya berlawanan arahnya. Sayangnya, teman ini akan menghadapi ujian Fisika yang super penting dalam waktu dekat, jadi akan kubiarkan dia hidup damai untuk sementara.

Oh ya, jika kamu punya selera humor yang anomali seperti aku dan temanku ini, aku rekomendasikan untuk menonton Life of Brian. Entah ambang tawaku yang terlalu rendah atau bagaimana, sepanjang film ini aku bisa tertawa. Kocaklah pokoknya.

A.