It is a lot of people’s immediately response to see the bad in things instead of the good in everyday life. For example we may see a homeless person on the street and instantly think that they are a drug dealer or delinquent. Some may see an elderly person and automatically think they are cranky and depreciating. This has got to end; this type of attitude shows a pessimistic nature towards life and allows no room for empathy or acceptance.
A while ago, a teacher at a school told his class about his recent experiences of being ill. He was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and a type of muscle function loss which cause him to sometimes lose control of his limbs and therefore occasionally makes him unable to do simple tasks like walk or open a book. Additionally, he also has cataracts is his eyes which means his vision is impaired. One time he was about to board a train when his legs became weak and he fell over. Now here’s the shocking part- instead of helping him security falsely concluded he was drunk and did not let him get on the train, until he recited several stanzas of poetry to prove his state of mind.
This story is a shocking reality check regarding the society we live in where people are ignorant to patience and consideration and instead turn to judgement and defense. Sometimes we get so wrapped up in our own lives that we forget that to be respectful of people which can lead to hate and disregard. For example we may tease and taunt the elderly for their ineptness but what we are forgetting is that once upon a time they were fit and healthy and to fall into a condition of their present must be infinitely downgrading to accept. The teacher told the students that throughout his life he had been taught to solve his problems independently with perseverance but with his illness for the first time in his life this couldn’t be applied. Can you imagine his own indignity when he has to ask a pupil to open his folder for him because he can’t do it himself? A man of resilience and tenacity suddenly becoming so weak that he is unable to smile back at students in the corridor because their faces are just a blur.
Don’t judge a book by its cover is a phrase many of us should learn to abide by.
Don’t judge a book by its cover is a phrase many of us should learn to abide by. I hope we can all learn something from this one teacher’s story, and that is that we should all be more respectful towards others and show them care is times of need. We need to help each other when we fall as one day that could be us and we may need someone to lift us back up again.
