Appearances Essay, Research Paper

Looks really do matter, no matter how many people disagree with

that statement. The first impression does make that big of an

impact, but whoever made up that statement as to, “Beauty being in the

eye of the beholder” perhaps they are right. Perhaps beauty is formed

in the eye of the beholder. But we, as humans will always be

superficial and judge others on their looks. Very few people in life

get away with their character and intelligence. I find myself to be

beautiful but not drop dead gorgeous, well okay on some days I do. So

“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” Everyone has their special

qualities in life. But what happens to the one born with a disability?

As a child I had many friends, being the outgoing person that I

am. I have always been friendly with everyone; the attractive

and not so attractive. Even the girl who had a crooked face. I always

wondered what happened to her and how she got deformed on the side of

her face, she looked so monstrous. Everyday I would see her sitting

alone at lunch, always the last one to leave the playground, playing

alone everyday, and she was so quiet as well. Kids used to make fun of

her everyday, which was very sad. I even feel bad, for I was one who

cracked jokes on occasion as well and laughed along with others. One

day though my parents had me walk home from school, for I didn’t live

very far and I saw this girl walking in front of me. She was walking

very slowly, staring down at the ground. I decided to say hi and we

talked while walking home together. After talking for a while I

realized that she is no different then any of us, and she is so sweet,

perhaps the sweetest person I have ever encountered in my life. How

could I ever make fun of someone like that? I felt so horrible and

apologized to her for ever making any mean comments and then I invited

her over to play. We became the very best of friends after that. It was

so hard though in school talking to her, I suppose I was embarrassed to

be seen with her, but after becoming good friends I no longer felt the

need to hide our friendship and soon others started talking with her as

well, I even introduced her to the rest of my friends and started

defending her when others made rude comments. I soon even found out why

her face was that way. Apparently she used to live in a abusive

household and the poor girl was burnt by her own father. So she was

jumping from foster home to foster home. She never had a stable life or

stayed in one school. So it was very difficult for her to make friends.

I realized then how fortunate I was to be born with no disabilities and

have a wonderful family. After that year in 4th grade she moved up

north and I will never forget our friendship, she taught me a very

valuable lesson and I have never looked at others differently from me.

We are all the same no matter how we look.