(For the girl I lit the candles for)

At the end of your freshman year in college, I called you. You were stuck cleaning your dorm after your roommate unfairly left you with the responsibility.  Sad and frustrated, you told me that you didn’t want to be a doormat.  I felt for you and if I was any wiser, I would have empathized more and better.  Sometimes, I was really slow and clumsy with my words.

I can relate quite well to that sentiment.  For a very good portion of my life, the choice I had was to be a doormat or threat.  It is unfortunately a product of being an Asian (especially a male) in this society and maybe also my apparent quiet (at times) personality.  You can guess which path I would mostly choose.  Better to die on your feet than to live on your knees.

I also think that people often and mistakenly see us as doormats because we are responsible and after all is said and done, we will do the right thing, even at our own expense. And yet, we are still powerful, in more ways than one.