I was reading a Facebook post by someone I know. Then another person that I also know, commented on it with this sentence,
“Kapan kita karaokean bareng lagi??”
(When will we do another karaoke session together again??)
Her reply was,
“Iyaaa, kangen masa karaokean pulang pagi.”
(Yessss, I miss those times when we reached home early in the morning)
I stopped reading and thought.
I remember when I was 13/14, I would gladly take any chance to play with my friends all night long. I was so excited when we had our farewell party at a villa outside Jakarta and it was an overnight trip. The thought of night gossiping session alone was so thrilling for me.
I can’t remember when that feeling stopped from a happy thing to a lazy thing. I mean, if someone offered me to have an overnight thing now, I would immediately think, “Why can’t it be done before the night ends?”
Like the karaoke thing.
Why would you want to do karaoke for the whole night? Karaoke is just karaoke. You are singing to the song that already has lyrics on the screen. Why does it have to be done for more than 3 hours?
OK, I know what their answer is going to be. It’s not about the activity, it’s about hanging out with friends! And friends do things together! Although that thing is not so new and to be honest, no one can sing for more than 3 hours[1]
Then I have another question. Does hanging out together overnight define friends? So if you are not willing to do it, you are not considered as friends material anymore?
Of course, people would answer ‘NO!’ to my questions. They would defend the honor of friendship with all they have. Saying that friendship extends beyond that! Friendship is a comfort, so if you’re not feeling comfortable with someone, it means that it’s not a friendship! Yada yada yada yada.
Perhaps they are also going to shove some motivational quotes to my face.
But by the end of the day, people that would eventually become friends are them who are willing to spend the nights together.
People who are not willing to do it, are left out.
…
I would be lying if I said I don’t feel sad being left out just because I am not joining the gathering. To be honest, I feel like being insulted.
But anyway, people have preferences.
I should feel blessed that at least my husband have the same preferences as me.
Or maybe we’re just getting old.
[1] Perhaps it’s only me?