I have always been a firm believer that you become who you associate yourself with. Growing up, my parents constantly reminded me of this saying and it has now become my mantra. ‘You are who you hang out with’.
This phrase stayed with me throughout my teenage years and I made an effort to keep my circle of friends small. I had a few close friends, most of whom shared similar interests, values and beliefs.
I made sure to keep my circle small as I wanted to stay away from people who might not have the same outlook on life as me.
However, as I got older, I decided to expand my circle of friends and I started to hang out with people from different backgrounds and with different views. One of the people I met was a friend from a poorer background.
At first, I was apprehensive about this new friendship. I felt that I did not have anything in common with him and that hanging out with him would be a waste of time. But I decided to give it a go and I was pleasantly surprised.
My friend was kind, generous and had a good work ethic. He had a different outlook on life, but I found that I could still relate to him. We spent a lot of time together and I found that I was learning from him.
Hanging out with my friend made me realise that ‘you are who you hang out with’. I saw that even though he was from a poorer background, he still had the same values and beliefs as me. He also made me realise that I should not judge people by their background and that everyone has something to teach.
My friend also helped me to be more appreciative of the things I have in life. I had taken for granted the things that I had, such as a good education, financial stability and a supportive family. Spending time with my friend made me realise how lucky I was.
Hanging out with someone from a different background also helped me to be more open-minded and understanding. I was able to see things from a different perspective and this made me more tolerant and respectful of people.
I now realise that ‘you are who you hang out with’. When I surround myself with people who have different views and beliefs, I learn something new and I become a better person.
But here is the plot-twist, he is indeed poor.