IF YOU CAN RELATE…

I have been brought up to respect my parents, respect my family and relatives, respect the aunty I didn’t even know existed in India and respect the cow that stands outside my grandmother’s house.

Respecting people around us most probably sounds like a very basic value every cultured human should hold. But most Indians can tell you that it is a very tiring belief. This is how Respecting looks like in most Indian cultures, if some relative turns up at your house claiming the last time they saw you was when you were wearing diapers and asks you if you remember them, out of respect you say yes and proceed to have an hour long conversation with them, again out of respect. The last thing your parents want you to do is make the guests upset. Wouldn’t want to create a terrible impression.

For the most part I play along and always make sure I don’t hurt anyone’ feelings. To me what is important is treating people the way i want to treat them and not how others or society perceives how i should. Of course this treatment should not be disrespectful or to any extremes. If I feel like joking around and having a fun conversation with my relatives I will do so, and if there are days I really don’t want to push myself to act like I’m enjoying their company I want to be able to go to my room without being questioned on why I am not paying them respect. Not just relatives, even with my friends I always make it a point to not feel obligated to socialize with them. I am a very social person, but knowing every decision I make is my own gives me ownership to my life and I like it that way.