These days, Facebook plays pivotal roles in the life of Malaysians. We meet new friends and people from Facebook; and we even interacted with people we don’t know in real lives and built a sense of ‘virtual friendship’ that more or less transcends into a real life. How does it feel when someone you always interacted in Facebook (comments and all) didn’t comment you for ages and you were wondering what happened and finally you found out that he is dead? I don’t know about others but for me as a strong empathetic person, I feel strong twinge of melancholy. Perhaps, that’s the nature of being a teacher, to empathize.
I’ve joint Facebook circa my Banking Days around 2007 when few of my fellow banker friends persuaded me to join, especially Heidi because she said there were fun games in it. At that times, Facebook wasn’t popular. Fast forward 6 years later, it has become the No.1 social networking in Malaysia! I’ve interacted with many people via Facebook; professional white-collared, famous figures, opinionated people; and not too forget creepy stalkers and sex-maniacs (YES!), etc. Then again, let us put aside the dark shades; let us focus on the white shades, shall we?
In the 6 years, news of death about people who are in my “friend list” had somehow affected me albeit tinge of sorrow. Yes, I don’t even know them in person; but I guess the power of virtual interaction is that you feel the warmth of the interactions although there were mainly words typed into the “COMMENT BOX”.
Just today, I had just realized that one ‘friend’ in my list had passed away. He was always a good commentator and once a while teased me. I was wondering why it has been ages since he last commented me and no more his jabbing and satirical cynical comments! So today I went to his profile and I saw his update was stopped until December 2012. Huh??? He was taking “sabbatical rest” from Facebook? When I scribbled down, then only I realized that he had passed away; approximately nearly 4 weeks ago!! I was shocked and at the same time felt ashamed because I didn’t realized that earlier. Of course being human, I can’t possibly know that. But, I don’t know; I just feel sad. He also did send me message wanting to meet me so that I could tutor him English lesson! Of course I thought he was being cynical and said NO! Hahaha! We also had some little argument about politics and I deleted him. He instantaneously messaged me and added me back. I don’t know, I just felt sad that I was oblivious that he passed away…. Inalillah. *Sad*
This is always a good lesson; if not for everyone, it’s for me. Life is short and unexpected. We don’t know and we can’t know our destiny and what lies ahead. They are all the secrets of ALLAH SWT. Faith & pray are the only guidance for us to thread this ephemeral life. Yes, as a mere human; sometimes we are left side-off the track, derailed from the alignment set straight. But it’s time for us to ponder back – Will the time waits us patiently? Wallahualam.
I know it’s kinda weird but I just need to jot down to siphon out this twinge of melancholy, in the blog. May ALLAH SWT bless the souls of the demised. Amin, Ya Rabbal Alamin. Today is their day. When is ours? We don’t know. But it will be here. Soon.