A Book and its Cover

As I made my way to work today that popular phrase came to my mind. “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” I can remember times in my life when I was judge simply for the way I looked or dressed. I can also remember times when I in turn have formed judgments about others simply for outward attributes. I thought about this and realized that those covers that individuals choose to place on themselves tell the observer a lot and nothing at the same time.

How many times have I pick up a book, and simply because of the illustration (or lack there of) I decide that that book is not worth investing my time in. I don’t know if any of you have done that, but for me that is the story my history tells. If the outward attributes (the things I can see) don’t intrigue me, then I keep moving on in search of something to place my time and effort into. This can also be applied to our relationships (or lack there of). We meet, or see someone for the first time and it’s like picking up that book. If the outward attributes that person has chosen to clothes them selves with (the way they dress, how they carry themselves, their hair style…etc.) don’t intrigue us or draw us in, then we simply move on and say, “That person is not worth investing my time in”.

So what is the point of “not judging a book by its cover”? You see the cover of a book doth not make the book. A cover may tell you a few thing, perhaps one main event in the book, perhaps the author of the book or perhaps it doesn’t tell you anything at all (blank covers). Only when we jump into a book and read each word on each page can we fully understand what a book is about. Each page gives us a small amount of the intricacies of what that book is trying to convey to us. Only at the end do all those intricacies culminate to paint a picture of what the author wanted us to read, and why a specific cover was chosen (if one exist).

By judging others merely on outward attributes, we neglect and pass over the opportunity to jump into the pages of their story, to read each word on every page of their history. We never get a hold of the intricacies of their life that culminate at the present time and allow us insight on why they have chosen to place on themselves the specific cover they wear and we possibly miss out on an opportunity to make a life long companion in this life. I have a friend now that I thank God I was able to meet, even though our judgments of each other would have never allowed us to create the friendship we have. When I first saw Nick, my judgment of him was nothing less then negative and I received a like judgment from him. I thought he was one of those people I try to stay away from, because they irk me too much (It can also be said that he thought the same of me.) But by chance a few years later we ended up on the same traveling drama team. This gave us the opportunity to get to know one another (whether we wanted to or not. Let’s just say I should have kept driving the van…haha….sorry if you don’t know what I’m talking about). Once we relinquished our past judgments of each other we realized that there were some chapters of our live that had similarities. And now I can say that Nick knows more about me then anyone of my other friends. That type of bond can not be created through passing judgment on glimpses of ones “cover”. The only way to build a close bond, a tight relationship is to get past the cover and dive into the words and pages of someone history, what story do they hold. What does that story tell you about the cover they have chosen to wear?

A book may have its cover, and the cover may be extraordinary, but what really matters is what the pages of that book hold. What story do they tell, what history will unfold as the pages begin to unfold and turn. The answer to these questions can not be found simply by judging the cover; rather one must dive into every word on every page. Only then will everything culminate and you will see the true picture that author is trying to convey.

By Isaac A Valentin