Getting To Know New People

So this is one of the many meditating nights.

Back in school for a new start, I have been more involved in the management of my boarding house. I realised that many of my juniors are beyond adorable, humorous and amiable. I spent my entire first year in school, not wanting to know more about these people. What was wrong with me? Juniors are like the musical notes of a boarding house. This is where they spend their young and immature days, to be polished into confident adults with leadership qualities and sense of responsibility. I am glad that my way of approach suited the many personalities in my boarding house. Trying to get to know them include the effort of sharing my personal experience in many life situations, and thus inspiring them to seek courageous solutions to problems and build stronger interpersonal skills. I reached out, hoping that my juniors feel included and safe. I portray a role as the figure I hardly had when I was at their age- I am the big brother.

  At a very young age, our tastes and personalities tend to be easily influenced. A role model is more than important in our life. I remember being able to look at my brothers as I was growing up. Their praisable behaviours and attitudes in striving for excellence have shaped me into the independent individual who would rather opt to attend an economic forum than to immerse myself in the dim lights of a club. A friend of mine had a slightly different experience, but surely with an alternate touch to the way things worked for him. His role model is a strongly academic achiever, with an interest in capturing the ‘high’s from alcohol. The differentiated version of the story then lead to a series of embarrassing pictures on social media, which is the turning point for his reputation- The good boy has turned bad.

  Knowing who we look at is essential. While it does not necessarily have a direct link to our own behaviours, there is a possibility of deviation in our direction of development.

  Getting to know new people allows us to wrap ourselves around a person’s background, interests and ambitions. At the same time of learning about new perspectives, we give ourselves another chance to reconsider our preferences. It is fun when you receive radars of your similar tastes, but it also tends to dry you up when the effort of catering to what suits others but not you becomes too large.

  To me, socialising has been the best part of my school life, until I grew undeniably tired of it. I am unable to stand the louder voices trying to firm others’ opinions on certain things. I am unable to not assume you are superficial and fake when that is exactly what you make me feel. I am unable to keep my facial expression and body movements bland and respectful when I start to feel the insincerity in a person. I would rather just walk away than to listen to you.

  It is hard to get back on track with socialising with the community around me at the moment. I am more than just glad that even sometimes when it feels like there is a vacuum in life and there seems no light at the end of the tunnel, friends who I did not mean to include in the picture now seem more apparent, not fueled to have the fun with you, but because they know how difficult it can be to be trapped in such environment too. I did not know I had so many hearts in my life until I have lost the few I held too tight onto. So as I took the hand of their kind approach, I never felt incomplete anymore.

  Getting to know new people, should I? I will perhaps try my best to offer a healthy smile, while keeping a safe distance from everyone.

By,

Euan Thum.