Bachelors

Bachelors

It strikes me as odd that many young people from Indonesia,
who finish their education in European countries (Germany, the
Netherlands, Switzerland), prefer to remain single after
returning to Indonesia. Even those who get a job after finishing
their studies prefer to remain bachelors.

My friends, some mothers of those young people, are
exasperated, because most of them are in their 70s. Naturally
they are worried. They reason that a man who reaches 40 usually
remains a bachelor for the rest of his life. What happens when he
turns 60 and has to retire by virtue of company regulations, and
has no children who can take care of him?

In Europe, the "from cradle to grave" or "from womb to tomb"
public welfare system is available, but as far as I know, this
system does not exist in Indonesia. In my case, being a 72-year-
old retiree, I wouldn't be able to make ends meet if I didn't
have any children who could take care of me.

I know an unmarried woman who spends the rest of her life in a
retirement home. Fortunately she has her life savings to defray
her expenses, because the residents have to pay and only
relatively healthy people are admitted, meaning that disabled
people are not welcome.

Another acquaintance of mine, who is unmarried and is well
past 70, lives alone and stubbornly refuses to employ domestic
help. She defrays her expenses from interest she receives from
her bank on her time-deposit. One day she stumbled and fell; she
could hardly get up. Fortunately she has a very kind neighbor who
helped her in her time of need.

I was told of some Indonesian parents in Holland who thought
that it was high time for their beautiful and intelligent
daughter to find a partner. After repeatedly persuading her to do
so, the daughter lost her temper and said: Zeur niet! or Don't be
finicky! I can take care of myself. I own my own house, have a
good job, and have a Mercedes. What more do I need? A husband? No
way!

As an old-timer, I have to admit that the way of thinking of
present-day youth is different from what it was in the past.

A. DJUANA

Jakarta