jakarta after volcanic ash

So, last month I saw the news about Kīlauea volcano erupting in Hawaii. Coincidentally, I have a friend in Hawaii, and we had just shared some news with each other around that time.

Not long after that, six volcanoes in Indonesia erupted. Coincidentally, my house is quite close to Krakatoa, so it wasn’t far from where I live.

That night, I remember I wanted to go to my community, but I forgot to wear a mask. Suddenly, I started feeling like I had the flu and felt really unwell. Even though the place was crowded, I felt something like an earthquake. I didn’t even shake hands with my friends because I was afraid I might make them sick.

Then, the next day, I checked the news and found out that Krakatoa had erupted, and volcanic ash was spreading everywhere, even reaching Jakarta. I immediately called the people closest to me and told them to stay safe and prepare masks.

I even went to Puncak for a while to clear my mind because the air there was so nice. Yesterday, I went to Jakarta, and apparently people there were also worried about the same thing. Some of the vendors seemed to have simply accepted the situation and were even offering much lower prices. They said that with so many volcanoes erupting in Indonesia, we never really know when something bigger might happen.

It made me think: we never really know when Armageddon will come, do we?

So, that’s how it was. And it made me realize that money isn’t everything. What may become harder to find in this world is something eternal—perhaps kindness, good health, and trust. Those are the things we should be seeking, rather than simply chasing money.