Assuming Things…

I laugh, they assume I never cry. I am mostly ‘seen’ happy; they assume I am never sad. I am calm; they assume I am cold. There are a very few things that anger me, they assume nothing makes me angry. Just because I am cheerful, I am not allowed to feel low. Just because I am less often seen in a bad mood; they assume nothing can spoil it. I don’t react to everything that happens around me; they assume I have no opinions whatsoever. I cannot elicit everything I feel; they assume I lack clarity of thought.

I am not an egoist; they assume I don’t need to be respected. I don’t talk about the things I do; they assume I have done nothing great. Just because I work, they assume I am never tired of it. In things I can do by myself, I don't ask for help; they assume I never need any. When I don’t say, "I can" and rather say, "I will"; they assume I am being overconfident. When I say, "I can’t", they ask, "why", and assume I am shirking my responsibilities.

I am not harsh on anyone; they assume I am meek. I don’t punish; they assume I can’t. I forgive; they assume I forget. I don’t brood over the past; they assume I am ‘blessed’ with memory loss.

I seem to take impulsive decisions, but my decisions are well thought; they assume I am too immature to ‘think' and decide. I am impromptu :) They assume I am prompted. I dream during the day; they assume I am day dreaming. When I am lost in my own world, they assume I have lost it!

I don’t like to give excuses for my failures; they assume I can’t 'explain'. I don’t like to explain my mistakes; they assume I have no regrets about things I should be sorry for.

When I say I am inexperienced; they assume I know nothing. I don’t read people the way they do; they assume I am illiterate. I look at all sides of the coin; they assume there are only two and conveniently forget the edges.

I like being given the space I need; they give it, then invade it; assuming they have a right to. I like being the way I am; they assume I can’t be like them although I want to. When I stand out in the crowd, they assume I am standing out of it. I don't demand a special 'place'; they assume I am re'place'able!

When I come across people assuming things about me, I try not to lose heart and tell myself, they are doing the easiest thing they can do, which is ‘assuming’. Assuming is equivalent to not understanding. Those who fail to understand; either because they are unable to or because they don’t want to, are the ones who ‘assume’.

But there’s another side to ‘assuming’. Certain things in life have to be assumed; without assuming the existence of those things in life, we can't step into the world that 'assumes' and never 'understands'. Being able to assume things about certain people speaks of a special bonding with them, that is based on dependability. You assume your dear ones are going to love you; you take their love for granted. You assume your near ones are there for you; you take their support for granted. In fact, taking their love and support for granted is what keeps you going. So don’t assume that assuming is only about unreasonable expectations or a lack of understanding. At times, assuming is about gaining the strength to win the world.