People Remember How You Made Them Feel

It was before high school, I must've been in junior high, and I had just gotten a new pair of shoes at Payless in the mall.

I was super excited about them and thought they were really cute. But there was this older girl at school who made a comment about how my shoes were cute, 'and all,' and then mentioned how they were knockoffs of the real thing. I didn't even know what she was talking about. She said it with this condescending tone, like I was somehow less cool for wearing them. She even laughed about it with her friends, like I was some kind of joke.

I went home and told my mom that I needed to stop getting knockoff stuff and I wanted to just get everything name-brand. My mom took me to the mall and hooked me up with some new gear - I scored a fresh new pair of Air Walks and a sick No Fear leather and suede jacket.

But looking back, I realize that none of that really mattered.

That girl was just trying to make me feel bad, and it worked. But now, when I see her around town, I just feel sorry for her. Let's just say life didn't quite give her the glow-up she was hoping for.

Here's the thing: we all have a choice in how we treat others. We can choose to lift people up or tear them down.

People remember how you made them feel, and it'll come back to bite you in the ass later on in one way or another. So, let's all try to be a little kinder, a little more compassionate, and a little more understanding.