I've got some things to say

Sometimes you keep things inside for too long, then one day it all boils over. Well, today’s that day. Consider this a rant, a brain dump, a therapy session in writing.

Let’s start with taxi drivers in Tangier. Who made you kings of the city? You nod when I tell you where I’m going, let me get in, then halfway through the ride you suddenly decide you’re not "going that way." Excuse me? Or worse, you circle the city like you’re giving me a tour I didn’t ask for, stretching a 7 minute ride into 15 then expect double the fare. Do I look like an ATM?

To the doctors who don’t know what the hell they’re doing. I didn’t come to you for a speedrun toward death. Your "small mistake" isn’t small when it could potentially ruin someone’s health forever. Your experiments are not practice rounds, we are real human beings, not test dummies.

Then there are the parents who are ruder than their kids. What a legacy you’re leaving behind. Sometimes I’m honestly unsure if we should educate your child, or educate you first? You’re raising the next generation yet you act like you need supervision yourself.

Speaking of authority gone wrong. Dear principals and inspectors, some of you seem to wake up with only one mission: to make teachers miserable. Who hurt you? Who handed you a badge and thought bitterness was a leadership skill?

Let’s not forget some shop owners. You barely look up when someone enters, treat questions like an annoyance and then get angry when the person doesn’t buy anything. You mutter insults under your breath like we didn’t hear you. Newsflash: that’s why your store is empty.

Oh and one quick note, if you’re a Ross-from-Friends fan, stay away from me lol.

Can we also talk about people who enter your life with no intention of staying? What’s the point? A drive-by heartbreak? A quick ego boost? Sure, maybe you "taught them a lesson" but congratulations you also left unnecessary damage.

I’m not a negative person. In fact, I’m a very happy person. I enjoy small things. I laugh loud. I love being silly. But if you’re a vibe killer, please, by all means, stay in your lane. Don’t come ruin my sunshine because your cloud is following you around.

And finally, if you ever see me in a bookstore with a new stack of books celebrate me. Be proud the way my dad is. Because if I have an addiction, it’s one that feeds my mind, not destroys it.

I’ve said enough for now, stay tuned for next time.

The illusion of knowing it all

Have you ever met someone who has to be right all the time? The kind of person who says "I'm not an expert or anything" or "I don't claim knowing everything", and then directly adds a "but", as if that small disclaimer gives them the full right to reject opinions that do not align with their own? No matter how much evidence is being presented to them or even when they are aware that they could be wrong, they still insist on being right and refuse to change their mind.

I've done some research and according to what I've read, this behavior is usually linked to cognitive dissonance. A term used to describe the discomfort that people feel when they are faced with information that contradicts their beliefs. Some people would constantly adjust their argument, cherry-pick facts and twist logic to maintain their sense of truth and avoid the unpleasant feeling of being wrong. 

It could also be tied to ego protection, as some people, especially those whose feeling of worth depends on their intelligence or expertise, may believe that admitting fault is a personal failure and would rather control the conversation than appear uninformed. This can be a sort of gaslighting, not necessarily in a malicious way, but in a way that subtly alters your reality by making you question what you know to be true.

Some people's insecurity is the core cause of this behavior. If a person has been conditioned to associate "being wrong" with "being weak," they will do all in their power to seem as though they know it all. Others may just be addicted to the ability to influence others and enjoy the control that they have over a conversation.

For me, these interactions seem very frustrating because they are about winning, rather than finding the truth. The goal of these conversations should be learning, not just proving a point.

When someone rejects the possibility that they could be wrong about something, they're not only stalling personal growth, but they're also shutting down meaning discussions. 

So to best handle these people, you must avoid falling into the trap of proving them wrong because it'll only drain your energy. They're all about maintaining their perceived superiority and they don't care about the truth. And if you happen to ask them questions that challenge them to reflect on their logic and they still refuse to engage in an open conversation, just walk away and let them live in their illusion. 

Lessons taken from a Pokemon

I’m not embarrassed to say that life has humbled me more than once. Back then, I thought everything was straightforward and that dealing with people wasn’t too complicated, until real situations proved me wrong. Looking back now, I can see just how much I didn’t actually understand.

I believed I was mature, and to some extent I was. But my mindset didn’t always align with others. Sometimes I approached things with reason and logic, other times I let emotions run the show. The hardest part was trying to balance the two and in that struggle, I messed up. Those mistakes though, ended up teaching me some of the most important lessons.

I’m far from perfect and I don’t pretend to be but one thing I hold onto is knowing I never acted out of malice. My heart has always been in the right place.

I used to get stuck on the question "why". Why me, why this, why now... But I’ve realized that asking "why" doesn’t always move you forward. Sometimes you just have to shift the focus and move on.

I’m not trying to reinvent myself because I genuinely like who I am. I value my sincerity, my kindness, my ability to care, give and forgive. But I also know growth is necessary and I also know that growing doesn’t mean losing oneself, it means polishing who you already are by taking the lessons life throws at you and using them to evolve (just like a Pokemon). 

The shadow side of expectations

I’ve always been familiar with the Pygmalion effect. The idea that people tend to rise to the level of expectations placed on them. It’s always reasonated with me. Believing in someone, pushing them a little higher until they're suddenly capable of more than they thought. I’ve leaned on that idea constantly in the classroom throughout my teaching career and I’ve watched kids completely transform just because I treated them like they could.

What I didn’t know until recently is that there’s a darker flip side called the Golem effect. Same principle, just reversed. 

Low expectations pull people down.

That realization really made me stop and think. How many times have we, without meaning to, boxed someone in by assuming they couldn’t do more? And how many times have I been on the receiving end of that without realizing it had a name?

The truth is, people often become what we expect them to be. Expectations don’t just live in our heads but they bleed into how we speak, how we act and how we treat others. And unfortunately, that treatment slowly shapes their reality.

It’s really humbling. The Pygmalion effect is hopeful and inspiring while the Golem effect is a gut check. It reminds me that doubts weigh people down. Even a quiet "probably not" or an unspoken underestimation can steer someone’s path.

That’s why we have to be careful not to feed the Golem. We should focus on reinforcing the Pygmalion effect instead. Society often teaches us to lower expectations as a kind of shield in order to "protect ourselves from disappointment" but the downside is that over time, we start expecting the bad before it even happens. Sure, caution has its important place. However letting that mindset harden into an unshakable belief is exactly when it starts working against us.

Learning about this made me pause and re-examine my own expectations, not only for myself but for everyone I cross paths with. Because whether we like it or not, the bar we set for others usually ends up being the one they reach.

The detour that became a blessing

Funny how life works out sometimes. It's unpredictable, messy, and yet that’s where its real beauty hides. Teaching was never part of my original plan but somehow, destiny guided me in that direction.

I won’t lie, the job is tough! Working with kids is not for the faint of heart. It’s draining, it pushes you past your limits and there are days you wonder how you’re still standing (and still sane lol). But here’s the thing, it’s also one of the most rewarding paths I could have stumbled on. Kids have this magical way of reminding us what pure joy looks like. A burst of laughter that echoes through the classroom, the spark in their eyes when a lesson is finally understood, their excitement over the smallest activity, their curiosity about the world or even the random hugs and little "love notes" they slip onto your desk... Those are the moments that make it all worth it.

Through all of this, I’ve picked up lessons I never expected. Patience, resilience, creativity and finding happiness in the tiniest victories. My students taught me these things without even realizing it.

I’m aware this chapter may not last. Life changes, seasons shift, and paths evolve. But the memories I’ve made in the classroom will stay with me forever. And wherever destiny decides to take me next, I know these lessons will follow and serve me well.

Being part of a child’s life is something incredibly special. It's a blessing I never saw coming but one I’ll always be grateful for.

PS: To my future kids. "Mommy’s going to do her absolute best to take care of you, Insha’Allah."

Tested, yet protected

Life has tested me in every possible way, mentally, emotionally, and physically. It broke me, shaped me, and pushed me to limits I never imagined I could endure. Yet in those trials, I discovered lessons far greater than the pain itself. I learned that patience is not weakness, but an immense form of strength. I learned that carrying a good heart and keeping intentions pure brings blessings in ways the world cannot measure. And above all, I came to realize that Allah’s protection surrounds me constantly, in ways my limited understanding may never fully comprehend.