Self-Respect

_{Photo by Claudio Schwarz}

If there's one thing I try not to joke with, it's how I carry myself and the image other people see about me, because I've come to realize that the amount of respect you get from people depends on your character and how you respect yourself.

If there's one thing I learnt from my dad, it is the importance of being respected. My dad is probably the most humble person I've ever known, he respects himself, he respects other people and he gets respected in return. It's something I admire about the man and also the one thing I made sure to take with me when leaving home for school.

My hostel happens to be one where rumors move around faster than anything. And seeing how each rooms are almost facing each other (a typical face me I face you kinda hostel), it doesn't take too much effort to know the other man's business.

A close friend of mine who has been in the hostel for more than four years now is planning on moving out by the end of the year, not because he's tired of the place and wants to go to a new environment, but because of the endless rumors he keeps hearing about himself, rumors that aren't true.

What broke the camels back and helped him make up his mind on leaving was when someone who had recently moved into the hostel and became our friend, told us about some of the rumors she recently heard about him. It was so shocking due to the fact that she hasn't even stayed up to a month and she was already hearing things, bad things.

I had thought it was going to be the same thing for me since most of this rumors are lies and anyone can just cook up any lie they want and I myself had also been living here for the past four years, but she had said the complete opposite. She had said that there was nothing about me in the streets and that all she has heard so far are good things.

Now don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to make myself look like a saint, trust me when I say I'm not. But I feel like the reason why my name isn't on the lips of these gossipers is simply because one, I always keep to myself. I have few friends here and the majority of them are guys and guys don't talk to other people about other guys and secondly, I always make sure to create a respectful boundary between myself and the few ladies I do have as friends.

I try not to do anything stupid or silly and I always let them know that there's a line we both can't cross. Some of them see me as being strict, while some understand that I'm just trying to respect the both of us and based on what my new friend said about me, I'm happy it's working.