Something happened yesterday that I wanted to share with you. There was a young chemistry professor in the AUC department who was very interested in archaeological chemistry so we had a lot to chat about sometimes. He just joined the university after finishing his PhD and he is in his early thirties, and so he wasn't as ancient as the rest of the chemistry staff. I used to know him well and we had several cups of coffee and discussed, so many things that have to do with chemistry, archaeology, and how terrible are Dr. Askalani's classes. That was almost 18 months ago. Now that I am returning more often to the campus, I saw him several times, but he did not recognise me at all. We walked opposite to each other about 10 times, and he could not recognise me. Every time he passed me by, I just laughed so hard and said...Hmm, it must be the ancient department effect. Coincidently, I went jogging last night after a long hectic day, and to my surprise, he was jogging there as well. He passed me the first time, without identifying me either. The second time, I passed by him and a few meters afterwards, he called me by my name.
"Monica? Is that you?"
"Yes professor, that's me..." I laughed so hard, when he told me how I changed drastically, and that when he saw me around campus he always wondered if I was Monica's sister. Then we decided to go for a very late cup of coffee after a couple of hot showers. We went, and we chatted more about archaeology, chemistry and how terrible were Dr. Askalani's classes.
I asked him, "What made you stop and call me by my name this time?" He answered, "It is by how you made me feel, I always felt that you were so determined, and nothing on earth could steal your enthusiasm, and that's the same that I felt about that same person jogging, your enthusiasm and cheerfulness are contagious."
These words went quite through me more than that of a complement, I remembered my old school teacher who used to terrify me. She taught me for three years, and no matter how hard I tried, I was her worst student. I remembered the harsh punishments, the screaming and mostly that strong fearful chill inside my childish heart. I saw that teacher a few weeks ago, I was giving a lecture about education and cultural heritage and she was attending. The minute I saw her, I just had that chill inside me as if I was still a primary student wearing my school uniform, knee high socks, black hair ribbons, and trapped to recite a Worlds worth poem in our old school classes. Oh dear, I even remembered the smell of the old wooden desks. She recognised me right away from my name, wish she didn't...
After the lecture, she came and told me..."Not one in a million I would have thought that you would make it to that position, you always wanted to play and were good for nothing." I replied, well I am still playing...but now people around me appreciate my playfulness rather than my detention homework that you used to give me. She smiled her mean smile and left...
I have always wondered, what is the impression that I leave on people, do I give them a bitter chill? A sore heart? An angry attitude? Or a friendly feeling? A cheerful breath? Support? I am sure none of us are ever consistent, there were times when I was weak and simply poured my anger on others...and left them with my angry attitude. Other times, I was in my snobbish, arrogant, full of myself attitude, and just left them with a bitter chill.
It is very true the quote that says, "Choose being kind over being right and in the end you will be right" and "the most kind word said is the unkind word left unsaid". From now on, I will be conscious to what I leave on people, regardless of their attitude towards me, remembering that it is never between me and them anyways.
For next time, I jog by a stranger...I should not lose the opportunity to turn into a friend...
