Knowing me, knowing you.

Do you take interest in knowing about people around you? Do you know what they are doing, or at least care about their interest and what they are good at? I have family, relatives, and friends who don’t know what I am doing. But I know exactly what they are doing.

My classmate reminded me about one of my most adorable moments in classroom when we were seven. Our teacher took interest in understanding how much we know about our parents, and how much we, classmates know about each other’s parents. She asked: “What does your parents do?” Each of us took turn in answering aloud in the classroom. Most of my classmates took effort in elaborating their parents’ occupation – doctors, police, businessmen, firemen, engineer, lawyer, and etc. Honestly at that age, I find it difficult to comprehend what these occupations really do, not to mention knowing what my parents do for a living. Panic due to public fear, I simplified my explanation to get out of it.

Spontaneously I said with credence: “My mom is a clerk. My dad is also a clerk. They do all the paperwork.“

My classmate shared the speech was one of a kind, mainly because it was the boldest and least elaborated speech, plus the coincidence of having parents doing the same job. No one could tell how nervous I was!

I went home with curiosity that day. It wasn’t because I didn’t attempt to understand what my parents do. All along, my parents couldn’t be bothered explaining their occupations to a seven year old. It was only after seven years, they finally told me.

Since then, I started to take interest in knowing about people around me. What they enjoy doing and what they do as a profession. Knowing them in person, listening to them with enthusiasm more than talking about myself, I could easily read one’s personality just by what they shared with me.

“I think a lot of what we learn about others isn’t what they tell us. It’s what we observe. People can tell us anything they want.” ― Iain Reid

Knowing me, knowing you.

Let’s start by telling me that one thing I should know about you.