One day, I had to go to a place that was new to me. Suddenly, my steps halted. Not because my shoelaces came undone – I wasn't wearing shoes anyway. Or because it suddenly got dark – my life has always been dark from the beginning, anyway. Ahead was a junction, with roads leading left and right. So, which way led to my destination? I stopped for a moment to think.
Hopefully, this brain, which hasn't been used for calculations in ages, can still manage to think. What should I do in a situation like this? Should I just go for it? I'm used to being reckless and getting lost. But I didn't have much time left; I couldn't be late for my destination. No time could be wasted, especially not on getting lost and asking around.
Not to mention if I had to find a motorcycle taxi driver to take me – 'UUD' as in 'ujung-ujungnya duit' (it always comes down to money) again. Texting with a mobile phone? At that time, I didn't have a mobile phone; indeed, mobile phones weren't very popular back then. Few of my friends had mobile phones, and even those had monophonic sounds, not polyphonic – more like a 'polyclinic' sound.
Hmm, I thought for a moment, and then *cling*, my head felt like it received divine enlightenment. Finally, I decided to sit by the roadside near the junction and wait for someone to pass by from either the left or the right. My thought was: "I'll ask the person passing by from the left or right which road is the correct one to my destination. I'm sure I'll get a clear answer because those people must have already walked past the junction I'm about to take.
This story will surely have a happy ending because I'll eventually find the right person to ask, who might even take me to my destination. I won't be late, and we'll all live happily ever after." Often we are confused, which one should we choose? Go to this school or that one? Work here or there? Accept an offer or reject it? Choose him/her or someone else?
There are several paths we can take. Want to be reckless? Indeed, this path might be faster and more practical, but remember, the consequences can also be significant. If you just choose the wrong barber, you'll probably only regret it for a month. If you choose the wrong clothes/pants to buy, you'll probably only regret the lost money. But imagine if we choose the wrong school, the wrong major, let alone the wrong life partner?
The consequences would surely be 'wow,' meaning extraordinary lifelong regret. It's clear then, recklessness is not the best path in this matter. Actually, there's a simple and wise step: ask those who are more experienced. Often, we, the young, underestimate or even ignore the advice from our parents, our teachers, and other people who truly care about us.
When we're already in a tight spot and facing the consequences, only then do we remember that advice. Unfortunately, everything has already happened, and only regret remains in our hearts. Therefore, before everything turns into regret, it's better to wait and ask many questions before making a decision. Believe me, waiting and asking many questions is not a waste of time.
My personal, not necessarily accurate, survey proves that people who ask many questions, even if sometimes annoying, always get the best outcome. Wise saying: 'Shy to ask, lost on the way; asking many questions is beneficial; asking too many questions is annoying.' Wishing you continuous success, and happy asking!