On being maarte

I've been learning that some people think I'm maarte.

Now that just leaves me stumped. I know I shriek at the sight of cockroaches, gag at the thought of balut and roll my eyes at wrong grammar but God knows I can clean a toilet bowl (well, if I really have to), walk through dirt and mud, play with smelly, runny-nosed kids, eat at a Jolly Jeep, and many other things the real maarte people would never deign do.

I refuse to accept that I am maarte. Okay, maybe just a little. But I guess some people think otherwise. That's fine I guess -- to each his own opinion.

But what constitutes maarte anyway? There doesn't even seem to be an English word that captures its exact meaning. I have always believed that, just like beauty, it is in the eye of the beholder. Its meaning is quite relative, dependent on the, let me say, accuser.

So accuse all you want. But don’t let it stop you from appreciating my good qualities. (Yes, I do have some!)

What bugs me is that some people judge you as such and stop there. Maarte is an adjective for the superficial traits of a person. Refusing to get to know and appreciate another person once you have judged him or her as such, is almost the same as not choosing to befriend someone because he or she isn't physically beautiful.

My friend Karen should be able to tell you that when we first met, she thought I was one of the most maarte people she had ever met. And yet today we are the grandest of friends. And I am most grateful for her ability to look beyond this inexplicable (to me, anyway) maarte aura of mine.

I would like to think that I have this same generous and open spirit when it comes to others. (Hmm, I really think I do.) So I feel somehow miffed to think that others aren't that way. But oh well, what can I do? Not everyone's as nice :P

Perhaps the problem begins with one's insecurities. We can always judge someone to be like this or like that. Now the important thing is to ask how we hold our own against that. How do we deal with it? We can choose to be catty and nasty about it, or we can accept that people have their quirks and laugh at it. If you think you're fabulous, hell, everyone can be maarte for all you care.

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As my very loyal friend commented, "insecure lang yan!", pertaining to this one person who said I'm maarte. Thanks Drea, you are so right! Haha.

So who cares if people don't want to get to know me because they think I'm maarte? I have friends who know I am, and love me anyway! :)