Yesterday, as Jane and I were walking out of the office, an elderly colleague approached us and joked, "Your pimples are now ready to be harvested." I was irritated by such an offensive joke even though she was referring to Jane. I didn't like the joke, but whether Jane heard of it or not, she didn't budge. So, we continued walking as if nothing happened. Back at the dorm, I was lying on my bed when the door flung open. Jane dove on her bed and curled under her mattress. What I heard next confused me so much. I realized she was sobbing. She confessed that it was not the first time that that person made fun of her face, and this time she was so full of it.

I've been with Jane for almost two years now. And during those times of being her colleague at work, we've also become close friends. I knew she always had problems with her pimples and no matter how many times she tried getting rid of them, they seemed to always find their way back to her face. She faced too many discrimination from people from all walks of life. They seemed to like making fun of her.

As I was holding her hand, she told me of the things that hurt her the most. And I felt sad and pained as well. She didn't deserve to be treated badly. Jane was a good friend. She was even one of the most caring people I know my whole life. That person who threw a nasty joke at her didn't see the kind of person that Jane was. She only saw her flaws, and I pitied her for that. I pitied her because she never got to know how beautiful Jane was inside and out. And I pitied her most because her character was vile despite her old age.

Yes, she was older than Jane and I, and yet, she exhibited such a rather an unconventional trait an adult should have. It got me thinking, why do other people love pointing out the flawed parts of a human being? Is it to make up for the bad things they also experienced in life when they were still young? Does it make them feel 'empowered'? Perhaps feared? If undermining other people makes us feel superior then I don't want to be a person anymore. You see, making other people feel bad about themselves is wrong. It is something that shouldn't be tolerated!

May we teach the children of this new generation the importance of acknowledging that physical appearance should not always be the standard of beauty. So what if he or she has hundreds of pimples? Or so what if your sister is fat, or if your brother is skinny, or short, or tall? These flaws do not define them as a person.

As I am writing this now, I am praying that people will stop saying bad comments about a person's physical attributes. I hope we all get to see a person's inherent character and good personality rather than the vessel that we see as his or her body. I am praying that people will boost each other's confidence rather than crush them like a small bug lying on the sidewalk. May we be all become more sympathetic and feel more human by doing such. And may the world be full of good people; both young and adult.

Still pissed,

Sophia