Until We Lose a Great Friend

“Don’t judge a book by its cover” is one of the lessons I had learned as a child from an Aesop fable. My memory of the story is quite faint of a boy who liked a girl through her beautiful appearance that later realized that she was malevolent and vile. From this book, I had learned about many morals, however, it was this certain quote that had always struck me most.  Although I am taught great advice, I habitually take it for granted. Not that it is intended, but there are times were we also don’t take our own advice. So I often catch myself subconsciously judgmental.

I have been called judgmental several times in my life, but I didn’t consider it to be a bad behavior at the time. I was just looking after my own interest. There seems to be a line of thought that those who are influenced by a beautiful appearance are of a lesser moral character that those who do not. However, it has been argued that we are all influenced by appearances, and that there is no moral advantage in ignoring them.

I guess we do not see these problems until another person becomes involved. Similar to the Aesop fable, I was like the boy. However, I was not involved in falling in love through appearance, it was vice versa. It started around the time were everyone was hitting puberty. Though I still do not see it in myself, I was quite a popular girl when it came to boys, especially during the month of love. I have always abhorred the fourteenth of February, but when it came, I was always showered with flowers, chocolates, and gifts. I was never the affectionate type, so it was easy to refuse to such nonsense at the time.

It did not hit me until one of my best friends found some sort of fondness in me. However, I turned him down just like any other because he did not complete my type based on appearance. It continues until we do not realize that we had just lost a completely great friend.