the prize

"no one can make you feel inferior without your consent."

Eleanor Roosevelt, 'This Is My Story,' 1937

this would probably be one of the most powerful quotations I've encountered, if not the best. and it was just recently when i remembered and acted upon its essence.
I am seriously beginning to feel the toll of my upcoming semester. for i never thought that transferring to another school plus looking for a job that would not conflict with my classes or atleast, a day job was this exhausting. so i strolled inside a mall here in quezon city as a part of my usual regime whenever i am stressed out.
while i was walking and feeling the place, a chinky-eyed man, probably in his mid-30s, accidentally bumped against me. i knew it was nobody's fault since both of us didn't see one another coming. so out of politeness i immediately retaliated with apologies. but what i thought to be as a usual street bumps, was actually a nag from hell.
it was just that point that i determined that he was a foreigner (basing from the way he speaks) when he began shouting and pointing his forefinger to me. i've heard curses and prejudices in what was supposed to be an english litany. it was already just active listening and commonsense that was working in me to decipher what he was actually saying. but when i've heard the words: filipinos, stupid, dark-skinned and skin slugs, i knew it was already beyond the incident.

source

despite his attitude, i still allowed him to finish his monologue. i also noticed some passerbys pausing and sneaking in our lame commotion. but i didn't drop my ground. i remained silent and eyes directly staring at him. honestly, i was already thinking about more racist things inside my head, like i never thought your mind was more close than your eyes and etc. but i knew for a fact that i would not stoop down to his racist-ass level.
finally, he paused and before he could even open his mouth, i immediately owned the opportunity,
i even remember making a step forward and told him,
"from the way you reacted, mister, this would just prove to yourself and the rest of those who have heard that you are a hundred times worst than what you have foolishly said."
then i gracefully turned my back away from him and calmly walk away. i don't know if he just had difficulties understanding what i've said or did not at all. but he didn't actually chase me, as i have feared it to be.

i was already inside the train when everything began to sink in. it was a total disbelief for me, that i actualkly did that. considering i am not really the war freak or confrontational type of a guy.on the other hand, i knew from the moment he sounded racist, that iwas a major petpeeve that i wouldn't allow to pass.
i really felt good after the incident. i felt as if i have won the most victorious battle of my life: teaching someone that the foulest being is the one who throw foul things against other beings.