Change of Heart

   I was 7 years old when my family migrated from the rural area to the urban because of employment purposes. Everything seems so new and strange so inorder to be familiar with things, I decided to have a walk. When I was walking in the streets, I was amazed and thrilled when everything I saw is new and strange, and all the persons I saw wear a big question mark on their faces. I was wondering who are they, if they are nice, friendly and kind, whether I can be friends with them or they are bad and wicked like the step sisters of Cinderella or the wicked witch in Hansel and Gretel. I stopped on an open field that seems to be a playground where I see little kids playing…  I noticed that the kids that are playing are boys, some are playing hide and seek while others are playing basketball with their unprofessionally made basketball ring. I wonder where the girls of these place are, are they some kind of a vampire that are afraid to be heated by the sun? I was there for a long time just watching them; I was shy then to join them because I don’t know how to play what they are playing. Then, one kid saw me and walked towards me; he then smiled and said, “Hi, you’re new here right? I’m Kevin, come and join us, it will be a lot of fun”.  I refused to join them because I don't know how to play the game and it is so awkward to play with boys. But as days passed by, I felt the feeling that I wanted them to be my friends because I don’t want to be alone  in a very strange place and the worst thing is  I just found out that there are no girls there of our age, at that time (girls are very little kids and can’t play), it is strange but it’s true. And so, I did everything just to be like them, and be able to know every game they would want us to play. From that day on, people thought I’m one of the boys because of the games I play and the toy’s I like, which at first made me feel uncomfortable but in the end, I told myself, “so what if they think like that, anyway it’s not true so, just don’t mind them”. That was the reason why I appreciate more the boy things than the girls’ though at first I don't even know how to play boy games.

    Migration may affect a child emotionally, because of social and cultural dislocation. During a certain transfer of a child, one is placed to a new environment with strange people but the biggest aspect that affects a child is his search to find new friends. And upon finding new friends, the child will soon be influenced with the habits and acts of his new friends may it be good or bad. Peer influence is such a great factor of what certain child will be in his/her process of growing up. But then, everybody has the decision of who and what kind of friends will he/she have.  Do not let others manipulate your life or do things according to their perspective because what you will become tomorrow is still the product of the choices you made in the past and today.