Titik dan Koma

English translation of "Sederhananya adalah Tanda Baca"

Simply, period (or 'full-stop'; word used in British, New Zealand and Australian English) and comma are parts of punctuation mark.  They are simply functioned as that, otherwise they are not.  No?  That is the common sense of knowing and understanding their 'function';  our day-to-day life is embedded with the functions they are assigned to.  That is the way they are; (full-)stop!

That's is, frankly speaking, right, '(full-)stop'.  This kind of command will immediately and instantly bring the huge wagon of our mind and mental manufacture into stop.  Terminal has been reached.  Mission completed.   End of state; problem solved; Box has been defined!  Yap, period or full-stop means 'done'!


Let's think about this: what will happen when it will suddenly, in the following days, or following hours, or maybe minutes, or even in a thousandth, millionth or billionth of seconds, come 'something' new, or combination of new-old, or old-old+new, or even new+new?  There is a turning point, creates deviation(s), in-between terminal.  In such a fraction of time frame, 'tedenggg', the full-stop position shaked and potentially jumped or skipped.  How do we ya tell about this 'shaking' full-stop?  Then how is the 'sentence' existence?  How does the full-stop then define the 'sentence'; does 'the sentence' become 'not sentence'?  It is not complicated situation.  Rather, it is the 'show time' of the comma, the 'moment of comma' to appear and to say 'full stop, it looks like I will have a place, either here or there!'.  Instantly and immediately, within the full-stop's situation of confusion, indeterminancy and wonders, it replies 'Do I have still place?' continued with 'where is my position then?'.

What really important and interesting as such is the comma's reply: 'Full stop....just simply follow me, come always with me.  Do not ever ask about where your terminal or position is.  Indeed, you are my partner, we are tandem.  And you know, deep inside my heart, without you I am nothing, I am invalid, and non-exist'.

Simply to say, these fragments of above conversation is, let say, the philosophy of my scripts, or essays, or whatever my writings called, that most of them was inspired when I am at the 'warung kopi' (local and small cafe for coffee break).  Yap, I do really see that there are many full-stops looking for their partners, commas, here, at the cafe.

Enjoy your coffee!

Riad (inspired by my beloved daughter Alifah's funny question)
26/06/2012