You Are What People Saw You

https://instaud.io/2aVB : You Are What People Saw You

This morning when I fixed my long shawl --I changed the embelish -- my Italian friend knock my head and suddenly asked me weather I want to help him dress up. He lazy to dress up. If he like one shirt, then that shirt he would always use. So I say he should not be so. People can wrong judge. But, he still lazy. Finally, I agree to dress him up for a special event only. He grunt, but agree.

I amused. But it made me recalled of my experience. I had friend. She was very picky. She had not had a husband then, and always dreamed of a tall, white, handsome husband who also rich. Me and some other friend just smiled when she started telling her dream. Her boyfriend was white, tall, pretty face, and his finance quite well . So, I was amazed, was not her boyfriend enough? Why she still dreaming?

But some time later, she even married a man who was black, short, can’t say he handsome, nor rich. Wondered be all of us. And we should trying not to insulted. What more shocking was that her husband really looked 'malignant nasty'. So it's really embarrassing to see. Everywhere be he only wore short with T-shirt, or sometime with a buttoned shirt not buttoned neatly, with bathroom sandal for more worse. Either he was taking his wife to work place, or shopping were the same. I not know if they meet an invitation, maybe her husband would wore trouser.

As result, my friend often be a gossip material. Which is incompetent to take care of her husband, that she reaped her own pride, or she had malison ( in the archipelago there a say ‘picky pick sugarcane’, meaning that people who are too picky must get the worst). I myself sometime have to keep myself from being mocking, though I still wondered shaking my head, stroking my chest, as I hard to believe to see.

All that happen just because it all feel absurd to see this friend who was so 'stylish' got a husband who was so 'embarrassing'. My friend even boasted her ‘embarrassing’ husband as a teacher who had mastered his education. But if you look at the appearance and the way he talked with people, many people sure doubt what my friend said about her husband.

But this story just a background of why I'm getting so serious about this thing. How a person's appearance could actually form an image in the mind of many people. Whether we want to present ourselves as an educated person, or an artist, or a leader or a politician, the appearance should be taken into account in order that what is conveyed is easily accepted.

Claiming a leader but one appearance just like an artist, --that not fit. The led would doubtful, whether their leader truly able to lead. They even be worried weather they only been ordered to karaoke, or dancey dance only.

Claiming as an educated person but one appearance is like door to door salesman also make people wondered, is one really illiterate. Because if so, surely he could get a better job.

Claiming as an artist but look like a politician, then one not be long as artist. His artistry must disappeared into the political game he must have entered. Even if he still work an art his work would be shallow and dry.

So, really appearance thing is not a simple thing. Therefore, the leaders of the country usually have a special team who should form-state about the appearance of the country leader for various events and various occasions according to the message to be conveyed. Moreover, a country leader must be a representation of his country. How he present himself, that's how his country is.

I myself thought more over about my appearance too. I an ordinary person. An artist who also a guru. And always wanted to show that I love my homeland. So I really thought over about how I looked. Very funny to say the truth. That I thinking about what clothes to be wore at one event could spend more time than I prepared the subject matter.  For me not really hard to prepare the material to preach. It done in a few hour. But for my appearance…huh ... could be a few day of preparation. I should check which region I visit, who my audiences are --their age range, educational background, social state level, regional economy capability or if my audience are the decision maker --so that I not mistaken to appeared as per their expectation.

Because appearing in front of ordinary people in a bling-bling manner style I could be material gossip, “She guru not she?....why she looked so glamour like that?... Perform in front of officials with my plain appearance, I could be offended, my words not even noticed. Perform in front of children, I should very careful so I not give the wrong perception of what guru is. Fussed ... so I need a long preparation just to perform. Preach material ... bob’s your uncle. I just stand and talk.

I used to wonder when I heard the story of the American president or queen of England who has designer. I just could not think what the designer do. But after I also often talk in front of the crowd, be a role model, it turns out this is not a trivial matter. Really should be thought through. What is the impact, what influence we may give so that we could always give a positive influence wherever we are. 

I myself choose to wear a long wide skirt to be comfortable  -- I used to wear a long cloth typical of the archipelago, but often hassle if I have to preach all day long ---with Melayu baju kurung pendek. But because I also an artist I not wear a model which commonly known to people, but my own model that make me at any time asked to dance if only Melayu dance I not need to change my clothes. While the attributes of guru seen as bindu I always wore and my body language while performing the task as guru. 

I hope people could really see me as what I want --an artist who also a guru at certain time. 

And my Italian friend now calm since there's someone who would dress him up now.