The Day I Learned First Impressions Can Lie[LOH #275]

Maybe based on my experience, but I am this type of person who usually trusts my gut, most especially when it comes to meeting new people. And to be honest, this has saved me countless times. People, everyone will always have a motive for why they are meeting me. And some other times too, my not trusting my mind has put me in some situations that I least expected. So, most times, I am always on guard to watch closely and not rush in when I meet new faces.

During my first year, part 1 days, I met several people back then, but there was this particular guy I also met. We stayed in the same hostel, though not the same room, and we were in the same department. As I am writing this post , his message just popped in on my WhatsApp.

When I first got to meet him, I saw him as someone who was proud, did not want to interact with people, and was always doing things first, like he was aware of everything. Like my thoughts were like, "This guy isn't accommodating" because any time I go to his room and knock and ask about the assignment we were given, he doesn't allow me to enter, and sometimes he might not even open the door. He will just be answering behind closed doors. At some point I tried to avoid him because I did not really like how he was moving. Not my thing.

But over time, I noticed somethings about him that we came from different backgrounds, he was acting on the instructions given to him by his parents, he does not want his things to get stolen because we were all new to the school environment and no one knows who is who and who he can trust easily.

As time went on, we were becoming close; we attended night class together, he introduced me to his parents because they were both lecturers in the school, and I even taught him how to cook some foods because he was a JJC then. We became friends, not just friends but very close friends that talk if not every day, and we share things together. Then, I thought that he was proud, but he was actually watching his environment closely.

And I have also met someone who looks very welcoming at first, but as time goes on, I started seeing the true identity of that person and why he welcomed me. It hurts me that I had no choice but to give him space because of my peace of mind.

People always say first impressions matter, but I don't totally agree with it because not everyone wears a mask, not everyone pretends, fears, or tries to flow along. When I want to know someone, I give them time to check out who they really are, not what they show me when I meet them for the first time. And now, I have become more wiser to allow people to show themselves in 3D. I am not always quick to judge again, and it has really saved me from misunderstanding a lot of people.

Thank you for reading.

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