Social Introspection

Some friends of mine noticed something about me that had never crossed my mind. When I introduce myself I pronounce my name differently than I used to when I left India. It has gone from straight "Manu" to a somewhat westernised version with too much stress on the last syllable, making it sound like I'm saying "Manew." I had not noticed this at all. Now I am very proud of my name, hell, it's my name for crying out loud. The fact that I have made accomodations with something as personal as my name seems to have been taken by my friends as an indication I have made compromises with my sense of self. I can kinda see the logical bridge they had to cross to make this conclusion, (albeit a shaky one, maybe even a poetic one.)
What's funny is deep down inside I know I am exactly the same Manu that left India. Hell, I've been exactly the same Manu since I can remember. Sure there are moments I look back on and wish I had never done whatever I did or said whatever I did at the time, but my sense of who I am has always been the same.
Conflict highlights and adds contrast to a lot of details we take for granted. This recent challenge from my friends has really resolved and solidified something I took for granted. Now I know it's there for sure, I feel warm and fuzzy inside. It's nice having a sense of self. You should try it sometime, I highly recommend it. I'm also beginning to realise how important it is to spend time whith people I wouldn't normally be able to stand. Like I said, learning about other people offers opportunities to learn about oneself in ways that go beyond introspection. Especially those that stir up any sort of conflict in oneself. This may even be an allele of love.
Social Introspection. I take comfort in that.