Of course you would expect a librarian to say, "don't judge a book by its cover." There are many great books that have unspectacular covers. The same goes with people too and I was reminded of that today.
There is a teacher aide in one of my schools who I don't work directly with but we struck up a conversation today. She is from another country and I complimented her on her excellent English, especially since she has only been in the United States for six years. As the conversation went on, I learned that before she left her native country, she had completed all the requirements to be a lawyer. Of course none of those educational credits could transfer to the U.S. but she is Ok with that because she has realized that she really wants to be a teacher. To accomplish this, she goes to college at night while raising a young family and working as an assistant. Oh, and she speaks seven languages! I would never have guessed these things about her by just saying hi to her in the hallway.
Another example was a dad who brought his daughter to the Book Fair after school. He was really scruffy looking and wearing raggedy clothes. However, his undivided attention to his daughter and their conversations while mulling over books was heartwarming. We visited for awhile at the cash register and I found out he is restoring an old car, which he is teaching himself to do. In fact, he was in the process of painting it when he stopped so he could bring his daughter to the Book Fair. What a dad! Luckily I came to my senses before I packed everything up and gave him the whole lot!
So, take the time to visit with people you don't know....you may find out that they have interesting stories to tell. Oh, and it does work the other way - I have talked to beautiful people who are boring! That's another story for a not-so-positive blog!
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