What are we missing ?
Taken from elsewhere.
Washington, DC Metro Station on a cold January morning in 2007. The man
with a violin played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes.
During that time approx. 2 thousand people went through the station, most
of them on their way to work. After 3 minutes a middle aged man noticed
there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few
seconds and then hurried to meet his schedule.
4 minutes later:
The violinist received his first dollar: a woman threw the money in the hat
and, without stopping, continued to walk.
6 minutes:
A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his
watch and started to walk again.
10 minutes:
A 3-year old boy stopped but his mother tugged him along hurriedly. The kid
stopped to look at the violinist again, but the mother pushed hard and the
child continued to walk, turning his head all the time. This action was
repeated by several other children.
Every parent, without exception, forced their children to move on quickly.
45 minutes:
The musician played continuously. Only 6 people stopped and listened for a
short while. About 20 gave money but continued to walk at their normal
pace. The man collected a total of $32.
1 hour:
He finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed. No one
applauded, nor was there any recognition.
No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest
musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever
written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars. Two days before Joshua
Bell sold out a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100.
This is a true story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station
was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about
perception, taste and people’s priorities . The questions raised: in a
common place environment at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty?
Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize talent in an unexpected
context?
One possible conclusion reached from this experiment could be this: If we
do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in
the world, playing some of the finest music ever written, with one of the
most beautiful instruments ever made … How many other things are we
missing?
Dakwah adalah cinta
Dakwah adalah cinta
(disalin dari sini)
Memang seperti itu dakwah. Dakwah adalah cinta. Dan cinta akan
meminta semuanya dari dirimu. Sampai pikiranmu. Sampai perhatianmu.
Berjalan, duduk, dan tidurmu.
Bahkan di tengah lelapmu, isi mimpimu pun tentang dakwah. Tentang
umat yg kau cintai.
Lagi-lagi memang seperti itu. Dakwah. Menyedot saripati energimu.
Sampai tulang belulangmu. Sampai daging terakhir yg menempel di
tubuh rentamu. Tubuh yg luluh lantak diseret-seret. .. Tubuh yang
hancur lebur dipaksa berlari.
Seperti itu pula kejadiannya pada rambut Rasulullah. Beliau memang
akan tua juga. Tapi kepalanya beruban karena beban berat dari ayat
yg diturunkan Allah.
Sebagaimana tubuh mulia Umar bin Abdul Aziz. Dia memimpin hanya
sebentar. Tapi kaum muslimin sudah dibuat bingung. Tidak ada lagi
orang miskin yg bisa diberi sedekah. Tubuh mulia itu terkoyak-koyak.
Sulit membayangkan sekeras apa sang Khalifah bekerja. Tubuh yang
segar bugar itu sampai rontok. Hanya dalam 2 tahun ia sakit parah
kemudian meninggal. Toh memang itu yang diharapkannya; mati sebagai
jiwa yang tenang.
Dan di etalase akhirat kelak, mungkin tubuh Umar bin Khathab juga
terlihat tercabik-cabik. Kepalanya sampai botak. Umar yang perkasa
pun akhirnya membawa tongkat ke mana-mana. Kurang heroik? Akhirnya
diperjelas dengan salah satu luka paling legendaris sepanjang
sejarah; luka ditikamnya seorang Khalifah yang sholih, yang sedang
bermesra-mesraan dengan Tuhannya saat sholat.
Dakwah bukannya tidak melelahkan. Bukannya tidak membosankan. Dakwah
bukannya tidak menyakitkan. Bahkan juga para pejuang risalah
bukannya sepi dari godaan kefuturan.
Tidak… Justru kelelahan. Justru rasa sakit itu selalu bersama
mereka sepanjang hidupnya. Setiap hari. Satu kisah heroik, akan
segera mereka sambung lagi dengan amalan yang jauh lebih “tragis”.
Justru karena rasa sakit itu selalu mereka rasakan, selalu
menemani… justru karena rasa sakit itu selalu mengintai ke mana
pun mereka pergi… akhirnya menjadi adaptasi. Kalau iman dan godaan
rasa lelah selalu bertempur, pada akhirnya salah satunya harus
mengalah. Dan rasa lelah itu sendiri yang akhirnya lelah untuk
mencekik iman. Lalu terus berkobar dalam dada.
Begitu pula rasa sakit. Hingga luka tak kau rasa lagi sebagai luka.
Hingga “hasrat untuk mengeluh” tidak lagi terlalu menggoda
dibandingkan jihad yang begitu cantik.
Begitupun Umar. Saat Rasulullah wafat, ia histeris. Saat Abu Bakar
wafat, ia tidak lagi mengamuk. Bukannya tidak cinta pada abu Bakar.
Tapi saking seringnya “ditinggalkan” , hal itu sudah menjadi
kewajaran. Dan menjadi semacam tonik bagi iman..
Karena itu kamu tahu. Pejuang yg heboh ria memamer-mamerkan amalnya
adalah anak kemarin sore. Yg takjub pada rasa sakit dan
pengorbanannya juga begitu. Karena mereka jarang disakiti di jalan
Allah. Karena tidak setiap saat mereka memproduksi karya-karya
besar. Maka sekalinya hal itu mereka kerjakan, sekalinya hal itu
mereka rasakan, mereka merasa menjadi orang besar. Dan mereka justru
jadi lelucon dan target doa para mujahid sejati, “ya Allah, berilah
dia petunjuk… sungguh Engkau Maha Pengasih lagi maha Penyayang… “
Maka satu lagi seorang pejuang tubuhnya luluh lantak. Jasadnya
dikoyak beban dakwah. Tapi iman di hatinya memancarkan cinta…
Mengajak kita untuk terus berlari…
“Teruslah bergerak, hingga kelelahan itu lelah mengikutimu.
Teruslah berlari, hingga kebosanan itu bosan mengejarmu.
Teruslah berjalan, hingga keletihan itu letih bersamamu.
Teruslah bertahan, hingga kefuturan itu futur menyertaimu.
Tetaplah berjaga, hingga kelesuan itu lesu menemanimu.”
(alm. Ust Rahmat Abdullah)
Kalau iman dan syetan terus bertempur. Pada akhirnya salah satunya
harus mengalah.
In memoriam Ust. Rahmat Abdullah
Flight 1549
Found this story elsewhere. I am touched and decide to share it here.
Passenger on Flight 1549
This is a first-hand account from a passenger on Flight 1549. It is an internal memo to the members of his firm. It is very well written, is descriptive, and gives this man’s honest reactions to the events around
him.
It’s from a Partner at Heidrick & Struggles, an executive recruiting firm, who was on Flight 1549.Gerry McNamara (New York/Charlotte) was on US Airways Flight 1549 earlier this year. Here is his account of the event:
Thursday was a difficult day for all of us at the firm and I left the Park Avenue office early afternoon to catch a cab bound for LaGuardia Airport. I was scheduled for a 5pm departure, but able to secure a seat on the earlier flight scheduled to leave at 3pm. As many of us who fly frequently often do,
I recall wondering if I’d just placed myself on a flight I shouldn’t be on!Just prior to boarding I finished up a conference call with my associate, Jenn Sparks ( New York ), and our placement, the CIO of United Airlines. When I told him that I was about to board a US Airways flight, we all had a little fun with it.
I remember walking on the plane and seeing a fellow with grey hair in the cockpit and thinking “that’s a good thing… I like to see grey hair in the cockpit!”
I was seated in 8F, on the starboard side window and next to a young business man. The New York to Charlotte flight is one I’ve taken what seems like hundreds of times over the years. We take off north over the Bronx and as we climb, turn west over the Hudson River to New Jersey and tack south. I love to fly, always have, and this flight plan gives a great view of several NY landmarks including Yankee Stadium and the George Washington Bridge.
I had started to point out items of interest to the gentleman next to me when we heard a terrible crash – a sound no one ever wants to hear while flying – and then the engines wound down to a screeching halt. 10 seconds later, there was a strong smell of jet fuel. I knew we would be landing and thought the pilot would take us down no doubt to Newark Airport.
As we began to turn south I noticed the pilot lining up on the river – still – I thought – en route for Newark .
Next thing we heard was “Brace for impact!” – a phrase I had heard many years before as an active duty Marine Officer but never before on a commercial air flight. Everyone looked at each other in shock. It all
happened so fast we were astonished!We began to descend rapidly and it started to sink in. This is the last light. I’m going to die today. This is it. I recited my favorite bible verse, the Lord’s Prayer, and asked God to take care of my wife, children,
family and friends.When I raised my head I noticed people texting their friends and family…. getting off a last message. My blackberry was turned off and in my trouser pocket… no time to get at it. Our descent continued and I prayed for courage to control my fear and help if able.
I quickly realized that one of two things was going to happen, neither of them good. We could hit by the nose, flip and break up, leaving few if any survivors, bodies, cold water, fuel. Or we could hit one of the wings and roll and flip with the same result. I tightened my seat belt as tight as I could possibly get it so I would remain intact.
As we came in for the landing, I looked out the windows and remember seeing the buildings in New Jersey , the cliffs in Weehawken , and then the piers. The water was dark green and sure to be freezing cold. The stewardesses were yelling in unison: “Brace! Brace! Brace!”
It was a violent hit – the water flew up over my window – but we bobbed up and were all amazed that we remained intact.
There was some panic – people jumping over seats and running towards the doors, but we soon got everyone straightened out and calmed down.
There were a lot of people that took leadership roles in little ways. Those sitting at the doors over the wing did a fantastic job… they were opened in a New York second! Everyone worked together – teamed up and in groups to figure out how to help each other.
I exited on the starboard side of the plane, 3 or 4 rows behind my seat through a door over the wing and was, I believe, the 10th or 12th person out. I took my seat cushion as a flotation device and once outside saw I was the only one who did…. none of us remembered to take the yellow inflatable life vests from under the seat.
We were standing in 6-8 inches of water and it was freezing. There were two women on the wing, one of whom slipped off into the water. Another passenger and I pulled her back on and had her kneel down to keep from falling off again. By that point we were totally soaked and absolutely frozen from the icy wind.
The ferries were the first to arrive, and although they’re not made for rescue, they did an incredible job. I know this river, having swum in it as a boy. The Hudson is an estuary – part salt and part fresh water – and moves with the tide. I could tell the tide was moving out because we were tacking slowly south towards Ellis Island , The Statue of Liberty, and The Battery.
The first ferry boat pulled its bow up to the tip of the wing, and the first mate lowered the Jacobs ladder down to us. We got a couple people up the ladder to safety, but the current was strong pushing the stern of the boat into the inflatable slide and we were afraid it would puncture it… there must have been 25 passengers in it by now. Only two or three were able to board the first ferry before it moved away.
Another ferry came up, and we were able to get the woman that had fallen into the water on the ladder, but she just couldn’t move her legs and fell off. Back onto the ladder she went; however, the ferry had to back away because of the swift current. A helicopter arrived on station (nearly blowing us all off the wing) and followed the ferry with the woman on the ladder. We lost view of the situation but I believe the helicopter lowered its basket to rescue her.
As more ferries arrived, we were able to get people up on the boats a few at a time. The fellow in front of me fell off the ladder and into the water. When we got him back on the ladder he could not move his legs to climb. I couldn’t help him from my position so I climbed up the ladder to the ferry deck where the first mate and I hoisted the Jacobs ladder with him on it… when he got close enough we grabbed his trouser belt and hauled him on deck. We were all safely off the wing.
We could not stop shaking. Uncontrollable shaking. The only thing I had with me was my blackberry, which had gotten wet and was not working. (It started working again a few hours later).
The ferry took us to the Weehawken Terminal in NJ where I borrowed a phone and called my wife to let her know I was okay. The second call I made was to Jenn. I knew she would be worried about me and could communicate to the rest of the firm that I was fine. At the terminal, first responders assessed everyone’s condition and sent people to the hospital as needed. As we pulled out of Weehawken my history kicked in and I recall it was the site of the famous duel between Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr in 1804. Thankfully I left town in better condition than Mr. Hamilton who died of a mortal wound the next day!
I stayed with my sister on Long Island that evening, then flew home the next day.
I am struck by what was truly a miracle. Had this happened a few hours later, it would have been pitch dark and much harder to land. Ferries would no longer have been running after rush hour and it would not have been the same uplifting story. Surely there would have been fatalities, hypothermia, an absolute disaster!
I witnessed the best of humanity that day. I and everyone on that plane survived and have been given a second chance. It struck me that in our work we continuously seek excellence to solve our client’s leadership problems. We talk to clients all the time about the importance of experience and the ability to execute. Experience showed up big time on Flight 1549 as our pilot was a dedicated, trained, experienced
professional who executed flawlessly when he had to.
I have received scores of emails from across the firm and I am so grateful for the outpouring of interest and concern. We all fly a great deal or work with someone who does and so I wanted to share this story – the story of a miracle. I am thankful to be here to tell the tale.There is a great deal to be learned including: Why has this happened to me? Why have I survived and what am I supposed to do with this gift? For me, the answers to these questions and more will come over time, but already I find myself being more patient and forgiving, less critical and judgmental.
For now I have 4 lessons I would like to share:
- Cherish your families as never before and go to great lengths to keep your promises.
- Be thankful and grateful for everything you have and don’t worry about the things you don’t have.
- Keep in shape. You never know when you’ll be called upon to save your own life, or help someone else save theirs.
- When you fly, wear practical clothing. You never know when you’ll end up in an emergency or on an icy wing in flip flops and pajamas and of absolutely no use to yourself or anyone else.
And I’d like to add: Fly with gray-haired pilots!
Aku nangis lagi
Dulu aku pernah utarakan pingin beli MacBook. Tadi aku dikabari ibu, bapakku yang baru saja keluar dari rumah sakit karena stroke, mbelikan aku MacBook. Kata ibu, “Jangan ditolak. Terima saja”. Padahal biaya pengobatan bapak gak sedikit. Ibu juga walaupun sudah pensiun masih rajin praktek dan nerima panggilan operasi (biasanya operasi caesar, ibuku dokter anak).
Aku langsung nangis.
