What's Next?

Minggu lalu, gue dapet imel dari pemimpin redaksi salah satu harian nasional. Isi emailnya kurang lebih meminta gue untuk menulis artikel. Tema yang diberikan adalah "What's Next?"

Tema itu diberikan karena ceritanya, artikel ini akan dimuat untuk menyambut Tahun Baru 2009. Harian ini mengumpulkan berbagai artikel dari berbagai bidang untuk menyampaikan pandangan, visi, harapan dan tentunya sedikit ramalah tentang masa depan dunia yang digeluti masing-masing.

Seperti biasa, banyak pertanyaan di benak gue. Kenapa gue ya? Mau nulis apa ya? Tau apa gue soal dunia iklan? Apalagi mau ngeramal segala? Visi? Visi apa? Masa depan dunia iklan? Masa depan sendiri aja gak tau? Ini apa sih maksudnya? Dan ribuan pertanyaan lainnnya.

Dan sampailah gue pada sore hari ini. Saat yang lain lagi buka puasa gue ngelamun. What's Next? Dalam lamunan ini tiba-tiba gue teringat sama lagu yang pernah diajarkan nyokap waktu gue kecil. Judul lagunya Que Sera Sera - Doris Day. Liriknya seperti ini:

When I was just a little boy
I asked my mother, what will I be
Will I be handsome, will I be rich
Here's what she said to me.

Que Sera, Sera,
Whatever will be, will be
The future's not ours, to see
Que Sera, Sera
What will be, will be.

When I was young, I fell in love
I asked my sweetheart what lies ahead
Will we have rainbows, day after day
Here's what my sweetheart said.

Que Sera, Sera,
Whatever will be, will be
The future's not ours, to see
Que Sera, Sera
What will be, will be.

Now I have children of my own
They ask their father, what will I be
Will I be handsome, will I be rich
I tell them tenderly.

Que Sera, Sera,
Whatever will be, will be
The future's not ours, to see
Que Sera, Sera
What will be, will be.

Lagu sederhana yang selama ini selalu bermain di kepala gue. Terutama kalau pikiran lagi buntu. Gak tau mesti ngapain. Gak yakin sama segala hal. Dan seperti mantra, lagu ini bisa bikin gue lebih pasrah. Dan herannya ketika pasrah, banyak jalan keluar mulai terbuka.

Dan akhirnya, gue pun membalas imel pemimpin redaksi itu. Dengan bahasa inggris yang pas-pasan, berikut isinya:

What's Next?

Who am i to tell others, What's Next? if i am not even sure about tomorrow?

If I can tell you What's Next? i will be such a powerful man.

More powerful than God, which i am not at all.

Why do we need to know about What's Next?

Life is more interesting if we can live day by day,

If we can live our life so the fullest like there is no tomorrow.

The answer to that question, is not in my hand.

I believe, every one of us have and will have to have their own answer to that question.

And i would like to encourage, everyone to find their own answer.

And if, by any chance, there is any advertising professional out there

who can tell you What's Next?,

i can tell you right now, that advertising fellow is either lying -which we are good at- or playing God.

Yours,

Glenn Marsalim