Mahiya Rade, Week 11: About Friends
The power of friendship (cue sparkles).
Okay, this isn’t going to be a blog where I relentlessly shower my friends with admiration and praise, squealing, “Together, we can do anything!” Great people, great people…but today, I’m going to take a more selfish slant.
How do your friends influence you? In a time where everyone, from that self-improvement magazine you half-heartedly opened in line at the grocery, to every single college with a “holistic” approach to admissions, tells you to “just be yourself,” it always seems like it’s the other people who complicate the very idea.
Image of me and a friendOn a walk alone outside, I know roughly who I am. I might be in a sullen mood, but I always laugh easily. I always keep up a steady conversation with that voice in my head who I can only assume is the one me, the genuine article.
But often, I’m different around my friends. Around one of my friends, I am extra extra cheerful. She is not. Though I have tried to tone it down, I can’t seem to not exist in an at least somewhat annoyingly-upbeat state around her. Around another of my friends, I act a lot more calmly, often, to my dismay, taking on a vaguely maternal air which I do not like at all.
When I spent a lot of time around some friends, I felt as if I was absorbing their inner light, cheesy as that sounds. I felt like a better, more caring person. When I spent a lot of time around other friends, I noticed myself wrapped in a growing sense of bitterness, constantly fixating on people’s flaws.
Of course, the way my friends affect me isn’t their fault. But the power a friendship can have over my very character serves as a reminder to be cautious on my side. Choose your friends with care.
Hi, Mahiya! Your blog, through its insight on the value of choosing friends carefully, really speaks to me. Growing up, my parents have always told me that my friends shape who I become. As you reflect on how you act differently around different friends of yours in your blog, I also realized how around some of my friends, I act more serious, while around others, I’m more easy-going and freely say anything that comes to mind. Ultimately, friends do hold a lot of power over how we act, and I’m really grateful to your blog for renewing my awareness of this.
ReplyDeleteSome things I really like about your blog are the little personal touches, like when you “cue sparkles” in the beginning and use exclamation points. I also liked your comparison of the way you act when you are alone with your behavior around specific friends, which made your claim about friends affecting our character so much stronger. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed reading your post and reflecting on it!
Hello Mahiya! The style of your writing is captivating. Your blog feels like a deep, insightful conversation instead of a formal rant. The exclamation points and thoughts in parenthesis add personality to your blog. I have always heard that the people you choose to hang out with can tell people a lot about you. Your personality and values can be reflected in your friend choices, which is why it is important who you chose to spend time with. I agree with your statement that you can change depending on who you hang out with. This code switching often occurs so that people can fit in better with the group around them so it is important to chose friends who have the qualities that you admire. I enjoyed reading your work and I hope to read more from you in the future!
ReplyDeleteHey Mahiya! The idea of code switching and the way you presented it in this blog is phenomenal. I completely relate to acting differently around certain friends, not necessarily by choice, but instead because it feels natural to switch attitude and demeaner in that way. I like how you present this idea in a way similar to the saying, "You are a reflection of the people you surround yourself with." You aren't going out of your way to change your behavior when talking to different friends, it's just by nature that you act a certain way, and how you switch between behavior is a reflection on the people who hang around which in turn reflects on who you are. I enjoyed reading your blog and can't wait to read more in the future!
ReplyDeleteHello, Mahiya. Your blog was really heart warming and enjoyable to read. It does a great job at illustrating the powerful influence of friendship has on personal identity. I really resonated with how you change when your with your friends compared to without. I feel it is really relatable that a person acts and even feels differently when they are with friends. Additionally, I appreciated how you urged your audience to be cautious of the friends you keep close. When I was a kid my parents always stressed the importance of surrounding yourself with people that will not put you down. I see the same message in your blog and it was really heart warming. Thank you for your blog and I hope to read from you more in the future!
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