Taking For
Granted
By Peter Cho
M
any of us know how to receive service from
various places and people, yet only a few know how to
repay such offer with kindness and gratitude. This is a
shameful characteristic because even animals, plants,
and insects know how to compensate for each other’s
help. For example, small birds clean the alligator’s
mouth by picking and eating small pieces of food. In
return, the alligators provide a safe haven for the birds
from other predators such as hawks and cats. Another
example would be found between bees and flowers. The
bee helps the flowers to reproduce and flourish by
moving pollens to different flowers. In return, the
flowers provide food for the bees to survive. Intentional
or not, these “inferior” species can do something that
we humans, the “superior” species cannot do.
The interaction between nature and humans also
provides further evidence to support the argument that
humans take such service for granted. The ocean
provides us with substantial sources of food, such as fish,
and important sources of energy. The atmosphere
provides humans with clean air to breathe and special
ozone molecules that reduce the sun’s harmful
radiations. The forest provides humans with woods
used for producing paper and furnitures that are
necessary in our lives. The list could go on endlessly.
However, what are humans doing to nature in return?
Humans have destroyed half of the world’s forest and
expect to destroy the other half in a few decades. They
have dumped harmful and toxic chemicals into the
ocean, irreversibly polluting the water and killing many
marine species. And most importantly, humans have
polluted two-thirds of the atmosphere by constantly
producing harmful gases. All these are happening
because humans are taking nature’s benefits for granted.
Sadly taking servanthood for granted not only
happens in nature, but in our community as well. Many
students in MICS have helpers, drivers and national
staffs to make their lives more convenient and
comfortable. Our helpers always make our bed, do
laundry, clean the house and perform other menial tasks.
Our drivers take us anywhere we want, even if it takes
many hours. The national staff at our school clean the
facility and provide security while we study.
Nevertheless, most students rarely thank these people
for their service, and sometimes even make fun of them.
We need to respect them and respond their humble
expressions of servanthood with kind words and actions.
We can stop by to say “terima kasih” or give them a
small gift or letters to express our gratitude for them.
Nature, animals, and insects were not taught to
express their gratitude, yet they do it all the time. Then
why can’t we, so intelligent that we landed a man on the
moon, do it? It’s not that we are incapable, but because
we are unwilling and reluctant. We might be too lazy to
take a few seconds to say “thank you”. We might have
superior attitude toward those who serves us which
prevents us to realize their servanthood. Lastly, we
might just assume that accepting servanthood of others
has become such a norm that we don’t even bother to
think about it.
Fortunately, I am confident that we have the potential
to change, at least as much as the nature and animals do.
We are the only species to alter the entire environment
to meet our needs and reason in depth for ourselves. No
other species can do what we humans have
achieved. Therefore, let us not take servanthood for
granted, but express our gratitude with enthusiasm and
sincerity.
Disclaimer: Opinions expressed in this page do not, in any way, represent the school’s opinion. These are owned and
freely expressed by the individuals per se.
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