Words Paint a Picture

If you could describe others in one word, what would you write?

Today, we had an activity meant for a topic introduction. We were tasked to bring an amount of post-it notes. I brought in orange post-it notes and shared a few to those who didn't get to bring theirs. Everyone was excited to know what we're going to do with them. Others couldn't handle the surprise, going as far as asking friends from the other sections to have a juicy sneak peek of what's going to happen.

Upon starting the class, we were tasked to describe others with a single word. We were to write it down on a single note, then pass it to our intended recipient. The recipient will then refrain from reading it until the time is up. We can choose to give out as many as we like to. We can give the notes to anyone we wanted to give some, including the teacher.

Amiable. Loquacious. Insightful. Jovial.

These are just some of the words I sent out for my first batch. I intended these words to be sincere and as perceptive as I could. I wanted my first few words to be cordial and constructive, or at least something that isn't downright an insult or worse. I gave away notes to those who I am comfortable with approaching for the given moment. That meant that I primarily gave away words to my classmates from the previous year. After giving them out, I proceeded to write off haughty statements.

Porpoise. Sinister. Loony. Atrocious.

Don't worry, all these words I gave out were purely pleasantry, except for a few that I'd consider to be japes. They were mainly given out to Nicole for the sake of banter, while she and Jevonny retaliated with a few sour responses of their own. A few of us showered the room with noisy laughter, extending even after the delivery phase. It was energizing the very least, trying to find words to satisfy my lexiphanicism. I refrained from spurring out sesquipedalian words, as those ruin the fun of making them realize what the word actually mean.

After the end of the phase, everyone took a quick break.

After the break, we went on to the second half of the activity. Some went in front of the class to reveal what others wrote for them. Others were asked to read their own. The teacher asked us to refrain from throwing away papers we don't like. I saw some of the words others wrote for me:

Smart. Responsible. Cutie. Bookworm.

It was exhilarating to read. Most were compliments, which made me smirk. Although I predicted what others would write to me, it still warmed my heart that people thought about giving me those positive words. I could trace others from their handwriting, but I didn't bother. What mattered was that people thought about writing those for me.

Fboi. Mema. Bully. Bad. White Boy. Hot.

Still, there were a few notes from our banter. These, despite their negative impact, were mostly cordial, for the sake of making a juxtaposition with everything else I got. I fondly treated them as mere jokes. It was fine, mainly because I gave away heavier ones anyway.

These words, jokes or not, sum up what people think of you. These are the words people dare to shape your reflection to them. People may criticize you, disparaging you with negative words. Some may even think about showering you with hatred. That's how they feel towards you. You can't just throw their thoughts away and pretend they never felt that way to you. That's not how communication works. You learn what people think of you, up to a certain level of validity. 

It's just a matter of knowing how to receive and act upon these responses.