Don't judge a book by its cover.

Meandering through a bookstore, without the need to buy a specific book, like a school required summer reading book for my child, I will, most definitely, be judging the books by their covers. I do this with people too, and if you say that you don't, you are lying. In a crowd of strangers it is a matter of self-preservation. I do this judging unconsciously. It could determine whether I meet a helpful friend, or a demented mugger/rapist.

Anytime I am outside of my own home, it is necessary for me to be aware of who is around me, and what they are doing, especially when I am with my children or my granddaughter. When I was a child, I was told, “Walk like you know where you're going.” This shows confidence and purpose, and makes you a less desirable target to a “bad person”. Also, of course, “Don't talk to strangers.”

Who is a stranger? Duh. Everybody. But, it is unrealistic to think I am not going to talk to anybody. I pick and choose who to talk to based on what they look like. There is nothing else to base it on. If I need help, somebody who works at the store that I am shopping in is the best help available. I find them based on...what they look like. They will have on a uniform, or at least a name tag. If I'm not in a store, then who do I get help from if I need it? A policeman? How do I know if somebody is a policeman? By what they look like, of course. They will be wearing a police uniform. But policemen aren't always around, nor do they want to be bothered with something trivial. So, if there is a reason for me to talk to a stranger, then I have to judge them by what they look like, how well they fit in to this particular environment, and their demeanor.

Everybody is judged by what they look like, everyday, everywhere. That's why I tell my kids to dress nicely for a job interview. First impressions matter. First impressions are formed the first moment somebody sees you, and are based on what you look like. My first impression of somebody can change as I start to talk to them, and who they are on the inside starts to find its way out. But, I might never dare, or bother, to talk to somebody because of my first impression of them, like I won't pick up a book with a bad cover, much less read it.