Mocking people from rural areas is cruel!
I graduated with a degree in economics and recently began working as an accountant for a company.
The first few days on the job took me back years, reminding me of when I sat for university entrance exams and later the semester exams.
I’ll never forget how the other girls used to look at me with such mockery – they were all polished, stylish, made-up, and so self-assured.
But I was just a poor country girl, terrified of missing the early train, getting lost on the buses and trams, and being late for my exams. I didn’t have the luxury of worrying about what I wore or how I looked.
Upon being accepted, nothing really changed. They continued to look down on me, even laughing when I trudged through the snow in my only pair of closed-toe shoes.
village
It’s who you are, not where you’re from, that matters
They passed by me like I was invisible while I stood shivering, blowing on my hands to keep them warm.
At first, they never invited me anywhere, but then they started doing precisely the opposite.
They’d always ask me to join them for coffee or a bite to eat, knowing I couldn’t afford it and would have to decline.
The ridicule and taunts brought me closer to Stephen, who, like me, hailed from the deep countryside, poor, unfashionable, and a colleague who was frugal with every penny.
We never became a couple, but to this day, we are true friends who rely on and support each other.
We both proved to be tough nuts to crack – he took a job in Bristol to be nearer to his parents and help them out.
I had to settle in London because my sister lives nearby and needs me as she’s raising my niece on her own.
I had never shared these experiences with anyone before.
However, not long ago, one of my former colleagues came to my new workplace on business. She was arrogant and sneering until I put her in her place.
I pointed out that the documents she had brought were completely incorrect and could mislead my bosses. Her jaw dropped; it’s not worth repeating what she said.
But once I explained that we don’t raise our voices in this office, she retreated.
I dearly wanted to pay her back for the ridicule and humiliation she and her friends put me through, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it.
I decided her embarrassment and inflated ego were enough punishment.
I am happy that I didn’t let people like her crush me.
