Currently I'm watching the Indonesia vs. Cambodia SeaGames football match. Within 40 mins, the Indo team has brought the score 4-0 to the match. The Indo team that is playing in this match is the U-23, a team composed of selected players aging no more than 23. Many call this the 'Indo's dream team'. Although I dunno, what the final outcome of the match might be, here I juz wanna write a bit, what magic things can happen at the age of 23.
When I speak of age 23, I quickly recall the age of a great historical figure that I've been admiring so much since I sat at Senior High School. That person is Mehmet Al-Fatih, a great Ottoman Turkish sultan. 23 was his age when he led the Ottoman army to conquer Constantinople, the capital of Byzantium, the Eastern Roman Empire, at that time. In his opposite was the great Constantine, the ruler and guardian of the empire, who turned 40 at that time. At that time the Ottoman empire was in its growth. Starting as a small kingdom with Edirne as the capital, the Ottomans managed to prove themselves as quickly developing people. Their territory grew with time until Constantinople was left as the only giant in that region that they feared, but also wished to conquer. In the opposite, Byzantium itself deteriorated with corruptions from within. That balance was finally changed, when Mehmet, who aged 23 at that time, took a challenge. Fueled by his ambition, supported by his bravery, while realising that he also had the demanded capacity, he dared challenge the much older Byzantium Emperor, who must have seen himself as an established ruler of great size and many experiences. Mehmet to his eyes might have been no more than just a yesterday's child. I need not tell the details of the conquer, but I can tell that Mehmet has invented many technologies that counted as new at that time and eventually boasted him to have advantage over Constantine, thanks to his curious and innovative nature. These included battle ships that could be carried over land by people, as well as cannons of gigantic size that metalurgy has never tried to create before. Victory finally took side with Mehmet, where he succeeded to conquer the city after months of siege and restless attacks. I always take this historical moment as a lesson for myself. That we, youths, must never stand with fear nor inconfidence before people that are older than us. As long as we have the bravery and know that we have the knowledge, we must dare challenge every competitor, including those that are older than us. With those things that we have, we have to be confident that we are of value and deserve to be counted! Finally, history itself shows us that triumph never regards age when it takes side. It only takes side with brave, innovative, and never giving-up figures, regardless of their age. Can we then become one of them?
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December 2019
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