Cliche Day: Don’t judge a book by its cover

We’ve all been told not to judge a book by its cover. But have you ever really thought about what happens when we judge, particularly in the case of other people? I have, but obviously not enough.
So, when I was walking to class this morning and I caught myself seriously judging another girl for the way she was dressed, I took a step back.
Here I was, looking at this girl, and I assumed from what I could see of her, from the back of her head, that we could never be friends.
She was wearing a unitard, a body suit that started like a tank top and traveled all the way down to her ankles, and a sheer black shirt. She had on animal print heels, and her hair was bright pink and blue. I looked at her, and the first thought through my mind was, “I do not agree with your life choices, ma’am.”
And maybe I don’t, but I have no way to know that just from her outfit and dye job. She could be a perfectly lovely person, helping children from impoverished nations and volunteering at animal shelters, or she could be horrible, I have no way to know.
I don’t point this out so that you all will think I’m a bad, judgey person, but so that you will take a second next time you judge someone. Because we all do it.
I realize that if she had turned around and taken a good look at me, she probably wouldn’t have loved what she saw either. She may not understand why I’m wearing a swishy, flowery dress, or why on earth I would want to keep my hair brown and curly. She may think that my eye makeup looks ridiculous, or wearing flip flops when you could be wearing something that shows a little flair is a sin. She probably would have thought everything about me, from my pedicured toes to my hands, clutching my iPhone, to my curls, was ridiculous.
But there I go assuming again.