As a child of immigrants I live in a weird limbo of sorts, a make-believe land where I’m sure a lot of first-generation Americans end up. It’s almost as if Pangea played out differently and I’ve landed on my very own island made up of western assimilation and desperate efforts to preserve my cultural identity. It turns out I learned a lot during my time on this island. 

I’m now almost as old as my parents were when they first moved from India to America and I often wonder how they did it. I still do. It seems so grand. Imagine moving to a new country with nothing but a couple hundred bucks. It feels impossible. 

I have a feeling that if thank you speeches were required during every major change or minor achievement of our lives, we’d realize just how many people there are to thank. My parents didn’t do it all on their own. So why should we? 

A post on X, formerly Twitter, has circulated around the internet and has caused major discussions across age groups. It reads, “As an adult, don’t ask your friends to pick you up from the airport. Use Uber, save a friendship.” 

This post has divided the public into two sides: one side claims that it’s a serious inconvenience to ask such a thing, especially as an adult, and the other side argues that they wouldn’t trade doing friends favors for the world, that these moments hold magic. 

I couldn’t agree more. When I was younger I dreamed of someone picking me up from the airport with the sign and all. What a treat it is to know someone is anticipating your return, that someone wants you to come home. I love seeing reunions at the airport, but I fear I’ve been seeing less and less the more I travel. 

I worry this post may be onto something. Has our generation normalized not helping our friends? Are more and more people calling Ubers every day because nobody can stomach the thought of inconveniencing someone? 

I say inconvenience away. Life is already inconvenient, you might as well help your friends. And it’s not just helping, it’s showing that you care. In a social-media driven world, I can’t help but sometimes think that my engagement with others online is perceived to be more valuable than anything else I have to offer in the real world. 

Let me reassure you — and myself — that being intentional with friendships is a learning curve, but it pays off. To like a post is easy, to be able to rely on someone is such a gift. 

It feels like I’ve lived off of favors my entire life. My memories are filled with so many moments that could simply be deemed as inconveniences to the other parties involved. Growing up, if my parents couldn’t pick me up, I was always picked up by neighbors or friends of my parents. For years I used to carpool with my neighbor that lives across the street, Ms. Patty, on the weekends for my extracurriculars. I wouldn’t be nearly as comfortable as I am with the city if it wasn’t for her.

My neighbor down the street, Pavni Auntie, is the only reason I passed honors chemistry in high school. When I was scared to go home alone, I would go over next door to see Ms. Fran, and she would let me watch cartoons on the couch and give me cookies. I wore hand-me-downs from practically everyone I knew, and then when I finally grew out of the clothes, we handed it off to another family. My neighbor, Ms. Cheryl taught me how to knit over my gap year, and although I can only knit mediocre scarves, I would know nothing about knitting without her. 

I thought things would change when I got to college, but I got lucky and met people that I see such bright futures with, people who aren’t afraid of a bit of inconvenience. I think there’s a beauty in doing favors and asking for help. Maybe helping others one day will become trendy, but until then, I encourage you all to ask your friends if they’d pick you up from the airport.