Respect plays an integral role in our society, protecting the basic human rights of all individuals, and because of youthfulness, I had yet to understand that.

            When I was 8, I was placed in one of the higher classes in my school. As such, I was under the impression that this was a form of hierarchy that I played part in. Influenced by it, I grew increasingly arrogant and looked down upon the students who were in lower classes. This would eventually, thankfully, crop back and make me pay for blindly believing in it.

            One day in class, for our art lessons, we were tasked with creating a small handicraft out of whatever scraps of recyclables we could get their hands on. I remember fondly that specifically for this lesson, I spent copious amounts of attention and dedication to bring forth my creation. And for that, drunk on my arrogant pride, I felt that my creation was of the highest qualities, and as usual, began to look down upon creations which I deemed inferior.

            As fate would dictate, there was a student in our class that was from less fortunate backgrounds. For that, mere dedication and passion would do no good, as the student simply had not the resources required. His creation, 5 tin cans strung upon to form a train of sorts, was belittled and ridiculed by me. I remembered, as I walked out of the classroom door, peering and snickering about such a foolish creation that he should not have brought upon our class! Worthless, it belongs in the trash.

            As a consequence of my six-month-long trip to the states, my grades took a dip - in red ink, that is. Very quickly, I dropped from the second-highest class to the lowest class there was in my grade. There, sounded by students who were also economically disadvantaged as the student I belittled, I grew humble, and learnt to despise the retort that successful people should parade around in their regalia of self-pragmatic achievements.

            One day, as I was waiting for the yellow bus, I saw him again, who I despised. He smiled. No words were required for our encounter as if an accident. I knew, he knew, I was no longer the person I was. Now, he saw another person worth respecting within me, and it would be foolish to say I didn't reciprocate the same as well.