That Gen-X Friend -We Don't Have to Answer

We Don’t Have to Answer to Every Name We Are CalledFinding offense or becoming offended, whether insults are real or perceived, is well within our control. It is not easy to ignore when we are confronted by lazy or creative labels meant to trigger a reaction. As an immigrant, I hear my share of all levels of labels people try to force on me, completely ignorant of who I am. More often than not, my hurt feelings kept me reactive instead of introspectively learning from such events. I became addicted to the swell of righteous anger I felt when I could deliver any sort of real or perceived justice. I am not afraid to be honest when I say, I have even passively welcomed real or perceived offense for the hit of adrenaline my feeble ego needed to justify my reactive behavior. After all, who can blame the person responding to “offensive,” hateful labels? However, looking back, I think about the energy and time I have wasted; the self-worth I handed away to people who had no consequence in my life. Today, I am sitting here another day older (not being facetious), and I am finally starting to understand that I don’t need to answer every name I am called, real or perceived. Let’s talk about it.