One trait always discussed in my first and second posts is shyness. For me, shyness is the reason I am myself, as well as why some of my qualities are so hidden and others so exposed.

The cause of being shy? It definitely is not because of my race, but rather because of how I was raised. My family has always treated me fairly and respectfully, except my sister is 10 years older and my brother 6 years. For some unexplainable reason, my mom gave birth to me way later than my siblings. Growing old and already having raised two kids, my parents just didn’t have the time and energy anymore to raise me properly. They love me and still do — except I grew to rely more on myself than anyone else.  I lacked a close friend to confide in everyday, so back then I was easily influenced by anything, wanting to fit in at school. Whenever I stepped out of my comfort zone and acted spontaneously, classmates would call me rude. So I never stood out, since I wanted to be accepted. Eventually these experiences led to the development of shyness.

Being shy did not earn me any friends. Therefore, I turned to the internet instead, where I could connect to thousands of individuals all over the world. As I was accepted into the online community, I slowly began discovering my inner qualities. The internet gave me the mask of anonymity and I was free to express myself without fear of judgement or prejudice.

From then on, I no longer felt the need to be the same as everyone else. It is ironic that friends in America, Mexico, London, Australia, Malaysia, Brazil, and China know me better than friends I see every single day. My internet friends understand my inner and outer qualities, allowing us to create closer friendships. Boo Radley was never given much emotional support, as society had a distorted view of his outer and inner qualities. Without anyone to depend on, he stayed shut in his house even though he wished for company. If he had been given the type of support I received via the internet, Boo could have kept his innocence and befriended his neighbours, especially Scout. Once someone understood his qualities, he would not feel lonely anymore and regain a bit more faith in humanity. This benefits both parties, because Boo’s new friend can learn to think in perspective, and realize that people truly are good once you “see” them.

Hence, understanding the inner and outer qualities of an individual can help us retain our innocence, and perhaps ignite a butterfly effect that changes the world for the better.