Anyone can be a hero, even those who appear bad on the outside.
A while ago, Andrew’s parents bought me as a gift for their son. Andrew was happy as a clam. They hoped he would use me wisely and correctly to help with his academic study. Well…things turned out differently from what they expected. Andrew liked using me to play games and watch videos, as well as surfing the web. He didn’t use me to read online books as his parents expected.
Soon later, he became addicted to me. He would spend hours upon hours each day scrolling through Instagram instead of studying. The moment he came back home from school, he grabbed me from the desk and played the mobile games that he installed on me. He’d use me whenever he could.
At first, I was happy to serve him. After all, he seemed to enjoy using me, and it was my job to make him happy. As time went on, I became more and more worried about him and I started doubting myself. Was it right for me to allow this? Should I do something to stop him? My master became obsessed with me, just like a drug addict obsessed with his drugs, unable to rest without using them.
Soon, Mum and Dad found out about this too. They tried to stop Andrew from using me, but it was fruitless. They’d hide me under their pillows, change my password, and limit the screen time for him. But no matter what they’d do, Andrew would find a loophole and outsmart his parents. So his parents lost hope and saw him as a disappointment. And I started to resent my master. I started wishing that I had a different master…a master who didn’t cause so much trouble for his parents.
But something completely changed my view of him.
A few days later, while Andrew was surfing the Internet, he saw someone bullying a girl about her weight. Those comments included some vile language that harshly ridiculed her. Andrew reported the bully to the website. Then, he left a message encouraging the victim, telling her that everyone is perfect for their own looking, and as long as you love it, it is the best. He encouraged the victim to persevere and believe in herself no matter what others think. I could feel Andrew’s concern and sincerity through the screen.
And that’s when my eyes were opened.
Anyone can be a hero, even those who appear bad on the outside. No one is perfect. Everyone makes mistakes. Sometimes, good people make bad choices. Andrew made the wrong choice to become too addicted to me. But that doesn’t mean he’s a bad person. In other words, never judge a book by its cover.