The influence we're willing to take
Is it just me, or do you also like what your friends like?
I grew up loving anything strawberry—the literal fruit, strawberry milk, milkshakes, ice creams, chocolates, candies, and even the strawberry taho that you could usually only get in Baguio City, Philippines.
I was the only one in our family, however, who had this kind of taste. They love savory foods, while I like sweets. They usually prefer dishes, while I'm more into beverages. I love fruits, soya, and yogurt genuinely because of their taste and the satisfying feeling of consuming their high water content. Meanwhile… yes, you guessed it right—my family doesn't like them as much as I do.
So growing up, I tried to understand more about why people like what they like. Just like everyone else, it is hard to find someone similar to you. But in my case, it was hard to find someone who liked even a portion of what I like.
Now that I'm getting a bit older, as time passes (but hey dear reader, I'm still young though, I'm just 18), I realized that I am deeply influenced by the people around me, especially my friends.
I can still remember my senior high school friend's go-to lychee-flavored fruit tea, which I became accustomed to loving and still order to this day.
Just recently, one of my friends, Kleid, told me he liked banana milk. Mind you, I love strawberries, especially when they are in strawberry milk!
I've never told Kleid, but I actually have a controversial take on banana milk—it tastes exactly like the medicine I had growing up. But because he likes it, I tried buying it from convenience stores as well. And… it still tastes like medicine to me haha. But I still drink it because I want to know exactly why he loves it. But fret not, dear reader, bit by bit, I've come to like it as well.
In my pursuit of understanding people, I realized how I've adapted a part of them as well. The more I try to understand someone, the more I learn about them, and over time, I've come to love what they love as well.
People are interesting. We usually have different interests, but once you step into their shoes and see things from their point of view, you'll come to understand that all of us are just as similar, because we all express our love for something, and in doing so—without realizing it—we might influence others to love it as well.
So… what about you? What's something you've also grown to love because of someone else? :)