What once shamed me, I now carry as a badge of honor

There is a quiet turning point in life that arrives without warning—when the things that once made you shrink suddenly become the things that make you stand taller.

- ANNA MAE YU LAMENTILLO

I did not recognize this moment at first; it revealed itself slowly, in hindsight, as I began to appreciate where I came from and who I had become. For years, like many Filipinos conditioned by generations of subtle and not-so-subtle pressure, I believed I had to sand down the parts of myself that felt "too provincial," "too local," "too different." The world had taught me that assimilation was a measure of success.

But now, I see clearly: the things people once used to shame me are precisely the parts of myself that carry the most truth, the most history, and the most dignity. These are not flaws-they are evidence of heritage. I wear them now like a badge of honor.