"R-E-S-P-E-C-T. Find out what it means to me" would occasionally blast through the speakers as my family and I were out by the pool during the summer. I did not really think too much about the song and what it meant when I was little. Honestly, it was a catchy way for me to remember how to spell the word "respect" when it was a challenge word on a spelling test that week. But as I grew, I would begin to understand what it means based off social interactions.

As someone who is a communications major, acknowledging and having respect for one another is something I truly value. In college, you can find out a lot about this and experience how respect works and feels. We all go to a big university and all have our own diverse backgrounds, so it is only inevitable that you are not always going to agree with the beliefs of others around you, but there is nothing wrong with that. We are all entitled to our own opinions and honestly, that's awesome! If we all believed in the same things, then life would be boring and we would not be giving ourselves the opportunity to grow as individuals and learn.

Well, how do you address someone who does not have the same ideas as you? Well that's when Aretha comes into play. It is all about respect. As people, we need to understand that life is not "my way or the highway," but more of a collaboration of everyone's ideas. If you don't like what someone has to say about an issue, then it is more than OK to politely address it with them...but respect their thoughts and where they have come from.

I was always taught growing up that if you don't have anything nice to say to someone, then don't say anything at all. I just thought that was the polite thing to do. Sure, there have been times that people have rambled on and on about their political beliefs that I may not agree with, why their home state is better than mine and if Starbucks is really better than Dunkin' Donuts, but if I choose to express my opinions on the matter, then I do so with respect for what the other person believes in because they have every right to believe it.

These situations truly empathize knowing your audience and taking the time to listen, read and understand what others may have to say. If anything, taking the time to listen to someone and hear their passions has made me a more open-minded person. I get to hear what my peers truly believe in and it brings me joy knowing that they are so passionate about causes and by also taking the time to listen, I get to open my mind up to different perspectives that I have never considered.

If for some reason Aretha is bumpin' through your speakers anytime soon, then take a minute and really listen to what she has to say because having respect for someone is one of the most sincere things you can do.