To All Those Flat Stanley's Out There.

We all know first impressions really do mean something. We try hard to pretend they don't matter but we are human and they do. When you meet someone you do notice what they are wearing and how their hair is styled. You do see some things that might strike you on first glance as imperfections. Maybe they have a squeakier then normal voice or their nose doesn't really fit their face. Maybe they have crooked teeth or large feet. Something will stand out to you in that first meeting and when you hear that persons name the next time that is what will pop into your mind. If you start to really get to know the person as a whole those first impressions begin to fade and become one with the rest of who the person is. You start to see past whatever that physical thing was and move on to the entire package. The next time you hear that persons name or see them you think all of them as a whole. All the things that make them who they are get so intertwined that it is impossible to separate all the mild idiosyncrasies. Realizing we all have our unique characteristics makes life interesting and I, for one, enjoy knowing as many different types of people as possible. This goes beyond the physical things and onto the stuff inside too. It bores me to sit and talk to people who constantly agree with every word I say and every view I have. I don't want to be placated or lied too. I want to hear new and different things and be heard by people who believe things I don't agree with. It widens my eyes and mind and makes me think past what I think I believe. What really gets me is when other people refuse to widen their narrowness. They don't want to try and understand what makes the world so interesting. They decide that I am too liberal or don't attend church and that first impression leads them to drop me like a lead weight. They have no use for me and turn back toward their internal group of people who feel the exact same way as them. They live without challenge or growth and judge me by the cover before finding out how interesting the book really is. It makes me sad for them but sad for myself too because I have all the confidence in the world that if they gave me a chance they would realize that I am not what they might think at first. I am more then just a political viewpoint or a religious view. I am a real live human being with the ability to listen and debate and change my mind. Being pious and one sided makes you a flat person without depth and hardly any acceptance. Agreeing to disagree doesn't take away from your conviction but speaks to the goodness of your character and the openness of your mind and heart.