Yearning to Correspondence

This morning I took myself to the post office, as usual, no other purpose than sending letters. When it started to open the door, spontaneous Degg, really really quit? As I walked toward the counter delivery, the post office would hover my memory when I was sitting in 4th grade.

I used to be very fond of correspondence and philately. I ever have a collection of stamps even though it was not just a few pieces only. I've followed the seminar program that called "sahabat pena" together with friends in one hall of the hotel in this small town. Almost every week, I went to the post office to send a letter to some friends both for my school friend who moved out and for those who know of the address of the sahabat pena's program. There was a friend of Bukittinggi, Jakarta, Sumenep and others. And, often times to the post office, I must be willing to queue up long after school in order to send letters and buy stamps.

But that was then. After entering the 2000s, the hobby is increasingly shifted. Technology became more sophisticated. At home there was already a wireless communication device that is mobile and the internet. So, mailers do not need to bother anymore in the mail. However, when I was junior high school, I was still love my hobby. Another reason, I also have not allowed to use mobile phone. In addition, there was an accident that my school friend who moved to another city so the only way to keep our relationship is  by exchanging letters.

For most of my friends think it's time that the correspondence is something that called "cupu" and old. I do not care about what they say. For me, the correspondence is unique activities, from which we can channel the talent of writing, could have a lot of friends even exchanging letters with envelopes and paper creations cute letter and also could collect stamps.

But, when I started to enter senior high school, I was really lost touch of my friends are. And this time I have repeatedly sent letters to the new address but unfortunately no reply came from the other side. I always miss the sound of a diligent mailman that delivering mail to my home and it is no longer I have encountered. Until now I've lost contact even once had exchanged mobile numbers but because my friend's habits that often forgot to let me know their cellular numbers and what else so finally, it was end. That's the remnants of memories there. Just living a story.

It's very long, and the post office was now full renovation, I did not find many more stamps on display at the counter like a dozen years ago. I did not find a long queue of people who came as the first. Now there are those to go to the post office because want to pick up the average salary retirees, submit documents and send the money via western union. No more young people who came up with the same hobby as I've got previous. No more friend whom Icould share back-related about correspondence. And, I miss it so bad.

                                                                          ----

(Terjemahannya)

Tadi pagi aku menyempatkan diri ke kantor pos, seperti biasa, tiada lain tujuannya selain mengirim surat. Ketika mulai membuka pintu, spontan degg, kok sepi banget ? Saat berjalan menuju loket pengiriman barang, melayanglah ingatanku akan kantor pos tersebut ketika aku masih duduk di bangku kelas 4 SD.

Dulu aku sangat gemar korespondensi dan filateli. Aku bahkan punya koleksi perangko meskipun itu tidak hanya beberapa potong saja. Aku pernah mengikuti seminar program sahabt pena di salah satu hall hotel di kota kecil ini bersama dengan teman-teman. Hampir setiap minggu, aku ke kantor pos mengirim surat untuk beberapa sahabat pena baik itu untuk kawan sekolahku yang sudah pindah maupun untuk mereka yang kukenal dari alamat program sahabat pena itu. Ada sahabat dari Bukittinggi, Jakarta, Sumenep dan lain-lain. Dan, acap kali ke kantor pos, aku harus rela mengantri panjang sepulang sekolah demi untuk berkirim surat dan membeli perangko. 

Tapi itu dulu. Setelah memasuki tahun 2000an, maka hobi itu semakin bergeser. Teknologi pun semakin canggih. Di rumah pun sudah ada alat komunikasi nirkabel yaitu handphone dan internet. Jadi, surat-menyurat tidak perlu susah-susah lagi lewat pos. Meskipun demikian, ketika aku SMP, aku masih menggandrungi hobiku itu. Toh aku juga belum diperbolehkan menggunakan telepon selular sendiri. Selain itu, kebetulan kala itu ada seorang sahabat sekolahku yang pindah ke kota lain sehingga satu-satunya cara untuk menjaga silaturahmi kita adalah dengan saling berkirim surat.

Bagi kebanyakan teman-temanku waktu itu menganggap bahwa korespondensi adalah sesuatu yang cupu dan jadul. I don't care about what they say. Bagiku, korespondensi adalah kegiatan yang unik, dari situ kita  bisa menyalurkan bakat tulis-menulis, bisa mempunyai banyak teman bahkan bisa saling berkirim surat dengan kreasi amplop dan kertas surat yang lucu-lucu juga bisa sekalian mengoleksi perangko.

Sayangna, ketika mulai masuk SMA, aku benar-benar kehilangan kontak dari sahabat-sahabatku tersebut. Padahal waktu itu aku sudah berkali-kali mengirimkan surat ke alamat barunya tetapi sayangnya tidak ada balasan yang datang dari seberang. Aku selalu merindukan suara tukang pos yang rajin mengantarkan surat ke rumah dan itu tidak lagi aku temui. Sampai sekarang aku sudah lost contact meskipun dulunya sempat saling bertukar nomor HP tapi karena kebiasaan sahabat yang suka gonta-ganti nomor dan lupa memberi kabar akhirnya yaa harus bagaimana lagi. Itulah sisa-sisa kenangan yang ada. Hanya tinggal sebuah cerita.

Sudah sangat lama, dan kantor pos itu sekarang sudah full renovasi, aku tidak menemukan pajangan berbagai perangko lagi di meja dalamnya seperti belasan tahun yang lalu. Aku tidak menemukan antrian panjang dari masyarakat yang datang seperti yang dulu. Sekarang yang ada adalah mereka berkunjung ke kantor pos rata-rata untuk mengambil gaji pensiunan, mengirimkan dokumen dan mengirim uang via western union. Tidak ada lagi generasi muda yang datang dengan hobi yang sama seperti yang kupunya dahulu. Tidak ada lagi kawan yang dapat kuajak sharing kembali terkait korespondensi. I miss it so bad.