Personal essay about my life

My dad once said, “Even though our air pump is small, our Arowana (one of the most expensive aquarium fish) will grow prettier than any other Arowana with thousands of Rupiah air pumps. ” I didn’t understand. Neither does my sister, so we decided to continue to catch cetol fish (I don’t think there is a proper translation of cetol fish to English, it’s a small fish that lives in a shallow river). Cetol is an affordable choice for our Arowana, Arna. We just have to go to a river near our house, catch fifteen, and get it for free. Though, Arna loved cicada better, which is inexpensive but not free. I lift a basket full of cetol. Pour the cetols into a transparent plastic bag, tie it, and hang it to my bicycle. I take those cetols home and serve a beautiful dinner for Arna. I see how beautiful Arna was, even though Arna eat free cetol and not cicada that people said will help Arowana grow more beautiful. So, how did Arna beautiful? Even, how did Arna can live in such a small aquarium with a cheap air pump? While I think, I has grown to be my current self in 2021. Everything has changed. I am no longer catching cetol with my dad, not only because Arna has gone to heaven, but also my father is with Arna there. Everything has changed. Yet, I’m still thinking. How can Arna grow beautifully in such a limited condition? I haven’t got the answer. However, ridiculously, suddenly I see myself in Arna. Eight years ago, even though I didn’t have a laptop, even though I wasn’t travelling with a train like J. K. Rowling or (fortunately) having influenza, like Agatha Christie, I published my first book. Despite being limited in many factors, I and an organization of youth that admire the spirit of Indonesian nations’ figures published an anthology book titled “Y. B. Mangunwijaya, Puspa Pena Anak Muda” (Y. B. Mangunwijaya, Youth’s Flower of Pen). Five years ago, I wrote my life story with weak internet connection –because my Wi-Fi at home was struck by lighting– and a basic Windows XP computer. I described how I as a 6-grade student had a deep concern with political issues in Indonesia, especially corruption. I with a youth anti-corruption organization in the anticorruption day annually go to Malioboro Street, the most crowded street in Yogyakarta, share shoots of plants with anticorruption stickers to people there to spread the anti-corruption movement. This life experience was sent to the Indonesian Ministry of Women Empowerment and Child Protection. Because of that, I was chosen to be the ‘Tunas Muda Pemimpin Indonesia 2016, ’ literally translated as Young Shoots of Indonesian Leader, an award for potential young leaders. The experience that gives me recognition (and laptop, hehe) of my leadership ability. This year, I stare at my laptop from the Indonesian Ministry of Women Empowerment and Child Protection. Even though it is not a high-end laptop like PewDiePie’s or VanossGaming’s, I can use it to contribute to ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) youth. I can feed my curiosity while being beneficial for not only one nation but also ten nations in the ASEAN region by being a Research and Development volunteer. At the end of the day, I still haven’t gotten the answer to why Arna could grow beautifully in such a condition. Rather, I found a lot of similarities between me and Arna. So, do you see me in Arna? At first, yes. I see myself in Arna. We are both live in a limited condition, but we can grow prettier than any other Arowana and people with a better life. However, after I swim deeper in my mind, it turns out that we are completely different. We are both limited, but Arna is a fish while I am an innocent human with a desire to participate in world development with my small air pump.