A few days ago, I was going through my old photo archive. I stumbled upon a video I recorded back in the summer of 2018. On it, a boy — a relative of mine — was riding lying down on a skateboard, propelling himself with his hands. I told him, "I'll show you this video in five years and you'll say, How embarrassing!" And he just smiled and continued onward.

I envy that kid. He was having fun carelessly, being a 11-year-old, doing silly things. And I, in my mid-20s, tried to inflict shame upon him. Why would I do that? Even though what I said was in jest, most likely, it came from my own insecurities, always considering what others would think. Maybe it's not even a big deal, but it makes me feel terrible.

Once you notice it in yourself, you'll notice it everywhere. People put others down, calling everything "cringe". Why can't we just let people have fun? And there is actually some pushback against it in the form of "let people enjoy things" or "I am cringe but I am free" kind of posts and memes. I love these affirmative messages.

I just had a chat with this kid — although he's now a 19-year-old — and I showed him the video. He laughed and said, "I'm not embarrassed. I'd do it even now!" I'm glad my words didn't affect him. And I wish I could stop thinking about how people perceive me.