Having Dinner with Exceptional Figures

Day 25.

When I was searching for a topic for my #30DaysWritingChallenge, I found an interesting question.

If you could have dinner with anyone in history, who would it be and why?

A name immediately came up and followed by the other two names. So, let's get down to business. Here are the three people that I would like to have dinner with:


1. Charles Darwin





I had an interest in evolution since many years ago. I think this theory is beyond cool. It captivated me. The more I read about it, the more I believe in evolution. I even took a free course in Coursera about the subject. And the more I learn about it, the more I admire Charles Darwin.

He must really have a bright mind to come with the idea of evolution. Not only that, but he also must have been really meticulous to collect all the specimens. I also believe he must have been really neat. Don't even question his persistence because obviously he had it. To be on a voyage for years collecting all those natural specimens sure won't be easy. He did it, though.

This is why I wish I could have dinner with him. If I had the opportunity, I would ask him in person about his journey on that HMS Beagle. I also would ask him to explain the theory. I mean, it would be really such an honor to get the theory from the first source, right? And I'm so curious about the process of the theory itself. Like, how he came up with the idea, how he collected and kept all those specimens, how he wrote his theory, and how he felt about Alfred Wallace. The most important thing is I would ask him to teach me how to be persistent, neat, and meticulous.

2. Socrates





I really want to learn a lot from Socrates, especially about his modesty. He claimed to be ignorant, but he wasn't. He asked people in Athens for their opinion. He pretended to be foolish by asking people a lot of questions and compelled people to use their head. Until at certain point people would realize their flaws in their arguments. This is known as Socratic Method.

According to him the ultimate wisdom comes from knowing oneself. So, if I had a chance to have dinner with him, I would ask him to teach me the ultimate wisdom. I also was going to ask him to make me his disciple. It would be such a great honor to have The Father of Philosopher as my mentor.

3. Ekalaya





Yes, I know Ekalaya is a fictitious character from the epic Mahabharata. He doesn't fit the criteria here, but who cares? I just feel the obligation to put his name on the list.

I adore Ekalaya. I love his self-taught spirit. Broken-hearted by the rejection he still politely asked Durna's blessing and he got the blessing. Then he made a statue of Durna. Every time before he practiced, he kissed the statue's foot pretending it was the real Durna. And every single day--for many, many years--he practiced all by himself. His skill in archery was exceptional and he was far better than Durna's best pupil, Arjuna (that spoiled brat!).

This is why I wanted to have dinner with Ekalaya. Even though he got rejected by Durna, he taught himself to be the greatest archer. He is the excellent model for discipline. He knew what he wanted and he's so determined to get his goals. I wanted to learn that from him directly. I wanted him to teach me perseverance and all his values in life.




If only I had the chance to have dinner with him, the first thing I would ask him was why on Earth he adored Durna so much and deliberately cut his thumb because Durna asked him to?

So, those are the two persons in history and one fictitious character that I would like to have dinner with. Writing this post makes me want to ask someone who is still kicking and alive to have dinner with me. But, wait, why don't you just ask me?

12 comments

  1. ah ekalaya yg itu..
    saya tetep teringat akan antareja..

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    2. mas dicky neng dhuwur kulo ki sahaaaa? --"

      eh eh baru nyadar baris terakhir tulisannya, jadi pengen ngelempar satu kalimat berjudul would you..

      #runrunsmall

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  2. #eaaa berhasil!berhasil!berhasil!

    ini lulu btw,
    pakek anonymous karena minjem leptop orang, u'll see something removed above this section, ahahaha... pardon me, my bad :P

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  3. ekalaya itu yang kurawa berhati pandawa bukan sih? sodara tirinya arjuna, saya sih taunya namanya bukan ekalaya, tapi Karna. #ehnggahapalding kudu nanya si oom di belahan dunia lain ini mah.... :)))

    masih lulu btw,

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    1. Bukan, Lulu. Karna dan Ekalaya itu ya beda orang.

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  4. Bener-bener yang diluar pikiran saya 3pilihanmu itu. Menarik jadinya...

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    1. Hihihi... Memangnya yang di perkiraanmu siapa aja?

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  5. Aku juga suka sama Ekalaya sejak dia mengalah untuk jadi orang yang paling ahli dalam memanah dengan memotong jarinya demi Durna. Banyak hal yang bisa dipelajari dari dia. Padahal karakter dia sendiri cuma jadi bagian kecil dari nama besar Mahabharata.

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    1. ini beneran bukan adipati karna tah???

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    2. @ Mbak Anggi
      Ekalaya ini tokoh paling favoritku di Mahabharata. Aku suka dengan semangat belajarnya yang tinggi banget.

      @ Lulu
      Beneran, Lulu. Ekalaya itu bukan Karna.

      Delete

Saya akan senang sekali jika kalian meninggalkan komentar, tetapi jangan anonim ya. Komentar dari anonim—juga komentar yang menggunakan kata-kata kasar, menyinggung SARA, dan spam—akan saya hapus. Terima kasih sebelumnya.