A different school

At some point, my parents feared that I would be watching cartoon shows for the most of my life—that I'd never grow up. Even at 15, I would still watch the likes of SpongeBob and Ben 10.

While it was a valid concern, there was something they didn't realise. I was smart in some ways... partly because of those shows I used to watch back then. But it's not just about that today.

I never had problems in English all through my academic years before university. My performance in other subjects may be subpar, but it was always stellar in English language subjects. And the crazy part was that I never even tried so hard.

It was effortless for me to understand quickly, speak fluently, and ace my tests and exams. People usually wanted to sit next to me during tests and exams. What they never really knew was that I learned from the cartoon shows I loved back then.

What I was immersing myself in, I continually absorbed. It wasn't that I wanted to speak like the cartoon characters and sound like them. I just picked up patterns and learned unconsciously. And quite frankly, that's exactly how life works.

The environment we find ourselves in can influence us. The things we fixate our minds on, the people we hang out with—all do something to us. So it does make sense to choose wisely the influence we surround ourselves with.

Eventually, I was no longer interested in kid shows. Perhaps it had to do with transitioning into a more serious lifestyle, like being in the university. But I wonder now if my parents even remember that they were once worried I'd still be watching SpongeBob at 45 years old.

They don't even send me any more. I'll say, anyway, that those good old days served a purpose.