enter Dormancy
Because life always gives you a second chance…
This is a story from my friend — let’s call her Selena.
If you ask, “What does life feel like?” Selena will answer, “I’m grateful for everything.”
If you ask, “How does it feel to be in an environment that’s not good for your growth?” Selena will answer, “It feels really awful.”
If you ask, “How does it feel to be in a supportive environment?” Selena will answer, “It feels truly valuable.
Sixteen-year-old Selena didn’t understand this yet.
Selena, who used to attend a public school, didn’t have friends who really clicked with her, and had no idea how valuable she was as a human being.
Back then, there were no extracurricular activities that supported her passion for writing. Most of the activities were limited to sports and dance.
None of the school subjects truly interested her, except for biology, religious studies, Indonesian, and English, which she thought were pretty cool to follow.
There was barely any English class throughout the year.
The English teacher was often absent, almost never showing up.
So, Selena would just hang out in the library, write in her notebook in the back corner of the classroom, or talk with her only friend in 10th grade — Dorothea.
And on top of that, there was bullying.
Selena, with her deep tan skin and eccentric (weird) personality, became an easy target for bullying.
She didn’t have personal boundaries yet — she was too kind to everyone and quite naive, making her the perfect punching bag for bored boys who thought she had no future.
The school Selena attended felt like dry, acidic soil — dangerously unfit for young plants just starting to grow, like her.
But Selena knew biology.
She chose dormancy.
Dormancy was a survival mechanism — the only self-defense Selena had.
She chose to build her own world.
She interacted only when needed, just enough, only as necessary, with classmates who were like acidic soil.
She wrote every day. She paid attention in class.
She didn’t interact with the girls who didn’t like her.
She ate and bought snacks in the school canteen, or read books.
She only did things that she found interesting.
And she decided to shut her eyes and ears to the rest.
Would Selena choose to stay in dormancy forever?
Oh, of course not.
As 11th grade approached, Selena met a new friend — her name was Betty.
Betty was a lot of fun. In 11th grade, Selena also found a new circle of friends.
But not all the boys in her class had changed.
Some were still rude and disrespectful, just like before.
“Selena is ugly just from the shape of her skull. She could never be beautiful,”
said Stephen, one of Selena’s classmates, who loved being the center of attention by mocking her.
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All the boys in the class laughed.
It became clear — Selena’s environment was still not a warm, safe, or comfortable place for her to grow.
So, she chose dormancy again.
This time, she closed herself off for even longer than before.
Year after year went by.
Because of that toxic environment, Selena sometimes felt guilty for simply being herself.
She experienced a crisis of confidence, an existential crisis:
Who am I?
Will I ever be accepted by those around me?
Why am I like this?
Do I deserve to be loved?
But slowly, year by year, healing found its way to Selena.
She decided to end her dormancy.
In her new environment, Selena discovered that she was loved.
She joined organizations.
She had a supportive circle — people who loved her, encouraged her, and allowed her to be herself.
She decided to create again.
She learned to trust people again.
She became more open.
She no longer saw herself in a negative light.
She now enjoys crowds.
She loves talking to people.
She loves the person she has become.
She chose to stop being dormant —
And now, the sunlight helps Selena grow even taller.
If you are in an environment that doesn’t allow you to grow taller,
enter dormancy.
They are not your friends.
They are just wild plants — parasites, weeds, fungi —
With natures completely different from yours.
Do not compare yourself to them.
Do not try to be like them.
You are different — perhaps even a different species altogether.
Enter dormancy.
Enter dormancy.
Enter dormancy.
Don’t waste your energy trying to become like the useless wild plants around you.
And when the soil and the environment around you have changed —
rise.
Grow taller.
Become the most beautiful and radiant plant in the entire universe of your own.
But for now,
enter dormancy.
Note:
Dormancy is a state in which a living organism — or a part of it, such as a seed or a bud — temporarily stops growing in response to unfavorable environmental conditions.
Dormancy is a survival mechanism that allows the organism to endure difficult periods, such as winter or drought, and continue growing once conditions improve.
