Came home to start again, Returned to where my life began, Right where I need to be

When the bottom falls out,
Lost with no place to go
Won't wallow in frustration
Instead, I will set out For the only destination
Where all is forgiven... Home

Came home to start again, Returned to where my life began, Right where I need to be

The title of this post is part of the chorus to a song I am writing inspired by the following…

New Year's Solution to Failed Resolutions

Every New Year's Eve resolutions are made by so many of us. We do so thinking we are bettering ourselves but we wind up damaging our self-esteem (among other things) when we fail to keep these resolutions.

Every single year you start out with the best intentions to make positive changes in your life by sticking to your resolutions.  For a while you are able to keep your self imposed strict rules but we all slip up.  We are only human.  Eventually, you fail again and again and again (usually sooner rather than later).

Basically we are resolving to break a habit and implementing the changes immediately with no flexibility or forgiveness.  In other words, we are setting these unrealistic goals to make drastic changes starting on January 1st.  When January 1st comes along we don't magically become a new person that no longer has the bad habits you resolve to ditch.  We have to work at it, making progress by avoiding temptation and staying the course until we've accomplished the mission.

We don't suddenly develop the discipline needed to kick our bad habits overnight. If we did, then we'd have already done it.  We are setting ourselves up to fail year after year!  Then when we eventually give up on our resolutions, we send ourselves on a huge guilt trip.  

Wouldn't you rather go on a vacation?  Any trip with guilt is not a fun one!

🙈🙉🙊 

A brillant man once said that the definition of insanity was doing the same things over and over but expecting a different result.  So why do we continue to make and break resolutions in a never ending cycle of self inflicted torture?

My New Year's Resolution for 2019 is
No more resolutions!

🚀Instead, I will set goals with realistic milestones and gradual changes in order to succeed in real self improvement!  This way I won't be beating myself up because I've skipped a day of being vigilant.  

I  will conquer a bad habit's hold on me by taking bite-sized pieces, instead of trying to swallow it whole. 

So have a Happy New Year and Go be awesome!

Does your other half make you a better person?

In a healthy, happy committed relationship each partner should make the other a better person. 

They should support each other emotionally, communicate and work through problems together, make big decisions after talking them out, share talents and resources to accomplish goals. 

They should Inspire each other.  Encourage the other to chase their dreams.  They should share their experience, knowledge, passions, strengths with the other. They should value each other's opinions, ideas and suggestions and feed off of each other's energy and excitement.  One partner's accomplishments should be celebrated by the other and they should almost be seen a joint achievement because as a team, both put in effort and both benefit.

Personalities should complement each other.  Most successful couples are similar in some ways but mostly have different talents and abilities.  For example, one is more outgoing and charming and the other is introverted but can sense things about people that no one else picks up on. 

There shouldn't be a score kept of who is better at what because it should never be a competition but a co-operation.  Strive to be a better you than you were yesterday, which will make you both a better couple tomorrow.

"Don't waste your time on jealousy. Sometimes you're ahead, sometimes you're behind, the race is long and in the end, it's only with yourself." -Baz luhrmann Lyrics from Sunscreen.

The Last Lot Standing… post from 2013

My son and I currently live with my grandparents in the home I spent most of my childhood in. It is quite strange to be raising my son in the same house that I was raised in. The house is pretty much the same as it was when I was a kid but the neighborhood has changed so much.


Sometimes I find myself reminiscing about the carefree days of my childhood spent here.   Back when I was growing up here, our house was one of only a handful on the block.  There were Quail running all over the neighborhood, chattering in their unique Quail way.  Deer were around but mostly you saw them near wooded areas like in the park down the street. 
Kids were allowed to run in the empty lots, play with other neighbor kids (to which there were many) and visit with the older neighbors.  My favorite neighbors were a retired couple across the street; we would play cards sitting in their kitchen nook while eating goldfish crackers and sometimes they would take me golfing and then out for ice cream afterwards.  There wasn't a need for a lot of parental supervision because there was little threat of danger.


If you saw anyone out walking their dog or just going for a stroll you always knew them personally, there were no strangers in this neighborhood.  They would wave and say hi, most times stopping for a quick chat before resuming their walk. 


Now, the area is flooded with people and houses are everywhere.  It's still a very nice place to live with beautiful views and nice people but it isn't the nice close-knit neighborhood it was then. Many people have dogs and love to walk them now.  We have made friends with many neighbors but more often than not we don’t know the people walking in the area.

My son LOVES dogs and he asks every person that walks by our house if he can pet their dog.  To him a stranger is a new best friend he just hasn't met yet.  So I keep a close eye on him when he is outside and we have strict guidelines about where he can go and who he can talk to.  It sucks that times have changed so much that we have to keep our kids within arm’s reach in case a psycho kidnapper tries to take them.

Now, There are only a handful of empty lots left in the area. If you go to the beach down the street and look up the hill you can spot the few empty lots very easily, each sticks out like a sore thumb. One of those lots is right next door to us.

The lot next door has been a favorite place to play for over 30 years.  I played there as a child, my sister, my cousins and now my son plays there.  Him and I fly his kite in the lot next door and he plays fetch with the neighbor's dog there. Jamison calls it his field, he sees it as his personal playground.

That lot, the last lot in our neighborhood, was sold a couple of months ago despite never being listed for sale.

I met the woman who purchased it, She seemed very nice.  Her and her husband are from Maine, they moved to Washington a year prior.   Apparently they took a lot of time building a relationship with the owners of the lot in order to eventually purchase it.  Her husband and her are both therapists and they have a private practice located by the marina down the hill from the lot.  They also work with cancer patients at the local hospital. She assured me that they are nice people, good neighbors and that they will make every effort possible to make sure the building of their home easy on my grandparents.  They plan to start building in about a year.


My son and I are going to mourn the loss of that field, I call it "the last lot standing".  It will be a lot worse for my grandparents., I am sure.  They built this home 35 years ago and have slowly watched their gorgeous breathtaking view get covered by new homes going up all around them. My whole life I have looked out of my grandparent’s windows across that empty lot to the south at the spectacular view.  I remember losing the ability to see the actual beach when the house just beyond the last lot standing, was built.  

Well I guess in life there is only one thing that is always consistent and that is that everything will continue to change....  I think it's good to remember the old days but to know that everything happens for a reason.  Things have changed but there is a purpose in what seems random.  We have to find the meaning and go with the flow.

It's a Geek Girl Revolution!!!! GEEKS R CHIC!! Especially the female variety!!!

Recently it has become trendy to be a “Geek Girl”. I discovered this while I was reading some articles online. I came across an article about this "Geek Girl" movement. I learned that geeky chicks (intelligent, gaming and/or technology oriented women) are awesome! I mean, I already knew that, but it seems the rest of the world is catching on to this fact.

Maybe your geekery is something you have attempted to conceal in the past? Well, no need to hide it now. Let your freak flag fly for all to see!

So, HEY LADIES(Those of you who are nerdy, smart, goofy and are into sci-fi, comics, gaming and/or technology)!!!! TAKE NOTE:

FACT 1:     You are a nerd/dork/geek…
FACT 2:     It’s now cool to be a nerd/dork/geek!
Fact 1 + Fact 2= Your a cool ass chick!

Welcome to the “in” crowd! You are now a member of the CHIC ÜBER GEEK Crew!!!! (I MADE THAT UP, JUST NOW)

Okay so now that the celebration is out the way… I have one major issue with this whole Geek Girl Revolution and that is:
 (DRUMROLL PLEASE……)

I despise, reject and ABSOLUTELY avoid all things trendy and aspire TO BE the complete opposite of TRENDY!

The world is full of followers it’s like no one can think for themselves. All these brainless drones just DO WHATEVER THEY ARE TOLD OR WHAT EVERYONE ELSE IS DOING! Like a giant herd of sheep!!!

I refuse to be ordinary, only extraordinary!

So I am torn between avoiding trends and being who I am. I am totally and Utterly a geek girl but now that is trendy. Am I or Aren’t I, that is the Question! Also by choosing to be the opposite of trendy I have started a (or built upon an existing) trend… ??????

I ignore fashion trends, don’t watch television. Most of the time I am in the dark when it comes to what is “in” right now. I wear what I like and/or what looks good on me and is appropriate to the situation. I don’t buy a certain brand of jeans because others think it’s cool, I buy jeans if they make my butt look good and they are reasonably priced.

I wear lime green and bright blue eyeliner, even though I've been told that it is a no-no, especially for a woman my age. I adore crazy hats, my favorite being a giant frog head knit hat with a glitter encrusted tongue sticking out (See picture). I wear offensive t-shirts whenever I want, my favorite being a tee shirt with “Frock You” emblazoned across it, to which I added some sparkles (Frock is a dress shop in Seattle that Johnie & I visited after I aced my mortgage licensing exams).

Sometimes I can offend people without even opening my mouth just because of what I wear or how I look.

I don't EVER wear anything because it’s what everyone else is wearing!!! I don’t pick up new hobbies because it’s what others do or what they think I should do. Don’t get me wrong, I am open to new products, experiences and hobbies. If someone shows me something I like, I am not opposed to adopting it into my arsenal of favorites. I will however only do this because I like it not because it’s what is socially acceptable or expected of me. If something is expected of me I usually tend to do the opposite.. Even as a child I would choose the road less traveled.

I don't care what most people think of me! It's the most freeing feeling when you can just let go and be yourself. Now, I care about what my loved ones think of me but they are also more willing to accept me as who I am.

The majority of humans that I come into contact with judge me based on ignorant surface observations. Some common assumptions: I am skinny so I must not eat, I am blonde so I must be dumb, I have tattoos so I must be a criminal! The truth is that I can put away quite a bit of food (especially cookies!), anyone who knows me will tell you that I am very intelligent and I have a clean criminal history, not a spot on my record!!!

These assumptions sound pretty absurd but it’s a knee jerk reaction for most to judge others based on so little. No one takes the time to learn anything concrete about who you are inside before passing judgment on you. That is exactly why I don't value other's opinion of me.

I actually get a kick out of people’s reactions to me. With my freak flag flying proudly people either duck and cover or they come out of the woodwork to talk to me. People either love me or hate me, they are either entertained and fascinated or completely disgusted by who I am. One thing I can say is that: I am always me, nothing more and nothing less.

I hope this whole Geek Girl trend does not create a bunch of fake she-nerds! I can just see a horde of insecure chicks rushing out to by glasses, gaming systems and computer equipment to imitate us. Might be good for the economy but bad for true geek girls.

I guess if they do try out the geek style, maybe some of them will actually find themselves buried under all the trendy bullshit. Once the avalanche is cleared away they may realize they have been a girly geek all along and just covered it up. Either that or all these “wannabe” geeks will totally ruin the name “geek girl” for the rest of us that are true to our geekery and always have been.

I have pretty much considered myself a geek for as long as I can remember but for sure I HAVE BEEN ONE from the moment I laid my fingers across my first keyboard, way back in the DOS days… I was probably plenty geeky before then but that would have been my defining "geek girl" moment...

Somehow I instinctively knew how to operate my mother’s computer (when I was probably 7 or 8) without any prior knowledge except playing Oregon Trail in the school library. I was enthralled with any machine I was able to use and my interest only grew as time went on.

When I was 12 my mother bought me my very own desktop with all the bells and whistles available at the time (She really couldn't afford it but I think she charged it to my ex-step dad’s Sears account, Oops!!!). I even had a feed through style compact scanner! So I of course got online and started messing around with chat rooms and the infancy of social media platforms.

Since then I have taught myself hundreds of programs, built databases from the ground up, built websites, tried my hand at various types of coding, fixed so many computers I couldn’t count them all, given a ton of computing advise and done my fair share of “hacking” this and that.

“Considering it’s "in" to be a geek now, Do I get geek girl seniority???”

I don't want to toot my own horn but I could run circles around most chicks (or dudes for that matter) when it comes to computers in most any capacity (software, html, coding, hardware, repair, diagnosis, etc.) See the photo above… I think this proves how much of a nerd I am… I have pretty much every file I have ever worked with or created on any of my personal computers since about 2000… Of course it’s all archived but available if I needed to access something.

In my research on the “Geek Girl” topic I came across a lot of “Fake Geek Girls” or mention of impersonations. That led me to thinking about why people pretend to be something or someone they are not, why just being themselves isn't good enough.

It’s strange how so many people (online) try to distinguish themselves from the masses. Some just exaggerate themselves to appear cool(er). Others create elaborate alter egos or even worse, they take on the identity of someone they wish they were more like. All because they don’t love themselves as they are.

When out in public in the real world, those same people try to blend in and not be noticed. Shy, self-conscious and meek here in the real world… Weird right??

The anonymity and false sense of security that the internet provides allows people to pretend they are outgoing, social individuals. They must believe that their internet alter ego is completely separate from themselves. That sense of separation must give them guts that they don't have in reality…

Does anyone remember that show “Freaks and Geeks”?

It aired starting in 1999 and the setting was a high school in the mid-west? in the early 80’s. It centered around Lindsay (dark haired girl in the photo) who didn't really fit in so she hung with the “freaks”, her little brother hangs with the “geeks”. The show was genius but for some reason only ran for a season or maybe half of the second season before it was cancelled. I think it should have continued on. It was one of those great shows no one knew about until it was too late!

Thanks for reading! Please leave a comment, I would love to hear your thoughts on the Geek Girl subject!

8 Ways You Can Use Sweet Almond Oil to Better Your Health!

(Photo Credit: Wikipedia)

I love natural at home remedies and I love natural oils for skin care, Sweet almond oil also has the added benefit of smelling so nice.  Check out some of the info I have found about how Sweet Almond Oil can help you!

Almonds are mostly used salted, plain, in confectioneries and desserts and even consumed to extract massage oils, edible oil and even hair oils. Almond oils are widely used all over the world due to its amazing uses. Sweet almond oil is highly used for skin and health care purposes. Some of amazing benefits are described below.

(Photo Credit: Wikipedia)

• Rich Source for Vitamins and Minerals:

Almond oil is available in pale yellow color, amazing in flavor and a high source of important minerals and vitamins. Calcium, magnesium, potassium, vitamins D and E are found in sweet almond oil that is why it is a great source of nutrients which are essential for health.

• Sweet Almond Oil for Cardiac Health:

Sweet almond oil is rich in folic acids, mono saturated fats, protein and potassium sweet almond oil helpful to maintain your health of heart. You can lesser down the heart diseases if you add up almond oil in your diet.

If you love so much it hurts... Maybe you have too much compassion?

Here are some inspiring words by Mother Teresa...  and an inspiring Graphic By Me!

Valentine's Day Keeping Up With The Jones(es)

Show your love with homemade baked goods!

I wish everyone a Happy Valentine's Day but then again, I wish all your days to be happy. 

Today is not special to me, by any means.  I don't buy into the commercialized hype of this holiday.  I think that your love and adoration should be celebrated every day of the year, not just on this day. If you cherish your love everyday then you don't need society to designate a day to shower your significant other with love, gifts and attention!

Musical Valentines By ZombieSmile
http://zombiesmile.deviantart.com/

I believe that when guys over the top to create the perfect Valentine's Day that it's not really about love.  I think that there is usually some other motivating factor behind the gesture, most likely guilt.  They don't do it because they feel especially romantic today or because it's going to be fun for them mostly they buy the gifts, plan the date, get the flowers because society tells them they have to or their woman will be outraged.  I hate being pressured into doing anything, how about you?

Jesse Ruben is a super star, the proof is in the e-Cards!

In the music industry, you know you have "made it" as an artist when some one creates an e-Card with your name across it and posts it on the various social networks to circulate! 
Usually the circulation follows some outlandish public debauchery; like being spotted having a romantic dinner with a married man (if you happen to be a female artist) or maybe a photographer is snapping photos after a drunken bar brawl and you “accidently” knock him out with a right hook (if you happen to be a bad ass male artist).  My point is, that in the music industry popularity is rarely based on your actual talent or the message your music is sending but almost completely on your party animal image. 

Seems a bit like high school doesn’t it?

Jesse Ruben on the other hand doesn’t do drunken debauchery or bar fights and still has gained a huge following in recent years.  See e-Card for proof!

Congratulations Jesse!!  You have reached the big time! People like you so much that there is a Jesse Ruben e-card!  If that isn’t fame, I don’t know what is.  The bonus news is that said e-Card isn't offensive and doesn't portray you in a negative light at all!

Ding! Ding! Ding! We Have A Winner!

Seahawks Game Day!!!!!

At the beginning of the season I posted the following graphic predicting that the Seattle Seahawks would keep up the steady pace they were setting, all the way to the playoffs.  

Unlike other teams that showboat and kept their best players in a game despite an obvious lead, Seattle has maintained tact, consistency and a good strategy throughout the year.  Hawks have mostly kept their heads down, staying focused on the goal and plowed on through their games.

So my prediction has come true and they made it, not only to the playoffs but they are going to the Super Bowl!  

I am proud to be a longtime Hawks fan, once again fair weather fans are coming out of the woodwork since the last playoff game against San Fran but I have been supporting my home team for longer than I can remember.  We are (my son and I) very excited to see the Seahawks go to another Super Bowl!

The last time the Hawks played in the bowl was when I was pregnant with Jamison.  He was literally born a Seahawks fan!  Every year he has worn his blue and green and watched games with mommy and hoped to see them go once again.  Now he is getting his wish!

Neil Hilborn Slam Poetry

Back by popular demand, Neil Hilborn. Now with 80% less beard.

***This guy is awesome!  He is not just entertaining but insightful, some think he is crazy but I believe his is crazy genius!

150 Years Has Passed Since Lincoln Spoke The Gettysburg Address

Abraham Lincoln, the sixteenth President of the United States.  (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

So Tuesday, as Google so kindly informed me, was the 150th anniversary of the Gettysburg Address.

Lincoln's Gettysburg Address (Photo credit: howardignatius)

I started writing this post on Tuesday morning, I saved it with the intention of finishing it shortly thereafter.  Unfortunately, my laptop crashed and I have been unable to revive it.  I am currently on my back up laptop which loves to shut down frequently when the memory gets overloaded!

I have to say that many presidents in our history have given good speeches but this is my favorite.  Lincoln was a crowd pleaser and must have been quite a charmer.  Of course he obviously had enemies considering he was assassinated but people throw rocks at things that shine, right?

If you haven't taken a peek around Google's Cultural Institute, do yourself a favor and take a look.  The caption of the following photo will take you there!.

Bancroft Copy of the Gettysburg Address. (Front) - Google Cultural Institute: 'via Blog this

The only known photograph of President Lincoln giving his Gettysburg adress on November 19. 1863 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Quotable Moment

In response to a friend's status about jotting down his ingenious breakthrough ideas, then not being able to read his own handwriting later, I had a "Quotable Moment". 

I thought I would share my awesome words of wisdom since they are so few and far between... 

"The best ideas are often recorded in the haste of excitement and then later undecipherable!" -Stacy M Price 2013

Don't allow Expectations to Ruin You *Wiz-Dumb Pai*

So many people go through life attempting to control every aspect of their day to day lives.  They plan everything in their minds and expect their plans to become reality.  They expect what they consider to be perfection.  Even if they don't expect exact perfection, they do expect close to it.  Through their predictions they are sure that events will go smoothly for them.  Predicting every outcome so all will be right in their world! 

These people predict what will happen, how it will happen and how they will react to whatever it is.  Then they spend their day manipulating everything and everyone around them in an attempt to produce their desired outcome.  When whatever it is doesn't turn out exactly how they believed it would... well, they become enraged or depressed.

 

When you set expectations you are throwing a metaphorical wrench into the engine of your life. 

Our Earth is an Amazingly Beautiful Planet!!!

Memories of Birthdays Past

My buddy Brian's Birthday Reminds Me of Birthdays Past...

So firstly, Happy Birthday Brian!  

I can't believe it,  my buddy Brian's girlfriend dumped him, today of all days, His Birthday!!!  Who does that?  Have you ever viciously broken someone's heart on their birthday?

I called Brian to sing him Happy Birthday and he told me what happened, he was devastated and heartbroken, so in an effort to cheer Brian up I created this image for his birthday...

Brian's birthday nightmare makes me think back to the summer I met Brian.  I was 15 or 16 and we met on Alki Beach in West Seattle (Where I lived at the time) and were immediate friends.  We hung almost continually from that point on and I began to date Brian's friend Carlos.

20 Geeky Socks Sure to Knock Yours Off

I saw the following post on Mashable.com and had to share it with my geeky friends...  

I love funky socks for two reasons; 

1. It's pretty easy to figure out sock matching when each pair is unique 
2. I love to express my individuality And these are another great way to do just that!.. 

 Express your inner geek with Geek Chic Socks!!!  These Einstein socks are my favorite, Which are your's??

Ever noticed the fountain at Seattle Center that is strangely reminiscent of a flushing toilet?

Jamison, Kale and Madyson checking out
"Encircled Stream" summer of 2010..

Well it is one of an artwork series done using natural elements, designed  to illustrate how amazing our mother earth really is.  This fountain was created by Ned Kahn and it’s  called "Encircled Stream".  Encircled Stream represents how Washington state's landscape was carved from repeated floods over time!

"Who I Am"

I see you looking, looking at me

Scrutinize me, tell me what you see?

Are you counting all my flaws

Making a mental list of pros and cons

Or are you imagining me with claws?

Tearing you apart

Mustache The Right Question

"What are you?" asked a passenger.

"You must ask the right question for the answer you seek"  Johnie replied.

"What nationality are you?" The passenger rephrased his question.

"I have no boundaries, no borders; I am but one resident of earth; connected to all living beings on this planet; for I exist as they do. I am connected with you and the evidence is that you sit here with me here; we have been united for some reason however random it may appear." Johnie answered the question.

Johnie drives a hybrid Taxi cab in Bellingham, Washington.  He is a patient, kind, gentle, friendly man who puts up with a ton of craziness on a daily basis but still has an amazingly positive outlook on life.

Johnie continues when the man appears confused.  He tells the man that he is Hawaiian and when the passenger doesn't seem satisfied with that answer, he tells him that he is also Scotch Irish on his mother’s side. Still the man was not happy with the answers he was receiving.

Unfortunately, many people have this or a similar reaction to Johnie. He has brown skin; some people say he looks middle eastern, some believe that he is Mexican or Asian. I don’t think it should matter what color his skin is or where he came from because those things don’t define who he is.

Everyone's Favorite Vacation Spot...
Hawaii

"You ask me a question to set your own curiosity at ease. I answer your question honestly and tell you I am Hawaiian and you get upset. I tell you I am Scotch Irish on my mother's side and still you are not satisfied. Why must people classify me? Why not see me as what I am, just a peaceful, caring and kind human being." Johnie asks the passenger to which he receives no response.

Why must we label each other? Why put others into categories and form opinions without taking the time to learn who that person is on the inside? Why not be observant, ask meaningful questions, and have a decent chance to gauge who that person really is, based on your interactions?  Can’t we all just open our eyes and see the person in front of us for who they really are?

Before you stamp someone with your label and judge them by it, think about how you have been judged unfairly and inaccurately. As the old saying goes, don't judge a book by its cover. When will we learn that what goes around comes around? Can’t we just embrace individuality and live peacefully and blissfully side by side?

If everyone could be measured based on a set criteria then sorted into say 6 or 10 different classifications, then everyone would be the same 6 or 10 people. The world would be nothing but a whole bunch of sheep following each other around.

 

I don't know about you but I refuse to conform to guidelines, criteria or categories. I am me and there is no one else like me!** Johnie is a very unique person as well, he is like no other that I have come across and it is unfair that he is often judged or worse because of his skin color. Smart people know better than to try to catalog a human being based on surface assumptions…

**(Many people choose to live their lives as sheep because it's easier to do what everyone else is doing and think what you are told to think, than it is to make your own decisions and think your own thoughts. More on the sheep subject in a later post.)

 I would have hoped that we as humans would have learned from our past but we have not and therefore it will repeat itself. How many times in history has a certain "kind" of people been mistreated or killed off? Chaos and destruction of valuable human life simply because the victims were different and fell into an unfavorable minority. People fear what they do not understand and if they don't take the time to understand "different" people then that fear breeds hate and that hate turns to violence, (violence doesn't always occur when hate is present but most of the time it does).

Think of the many instances of genocide; the Armenians massacred by the Ottoman government (during the First World War), the Holocaust when Jews were rounded up and massacred by the Nazis, during the Second World War and more recently the Rwandan Genocide (during the Rwandan Civil War). There are more but you get my point. All of these examples of acts designed to dehumanize a particular ethnic, racial or religious group. I could go on for days about the injustices that the world has seen all because of human classification.

Obviously one passenger attempting to classify and label Johnie is minuscule in comparison with Genocide but it all starts small. Starts with placing labels on people and passing judgment.

We each have the power to make a small difference by existing peacefully. When you come across someone you do not know and maybe do not understand, look for the things you may have in common instead of looking for the differences. Learn to understand them by finding common ground. Don’t assume the worst but give them the benefit of the doubt.

So which is it? Don't judge a book by its cover? Or, your first impression is solely based on the presentation and appearance? I already have my answer, and it's actually quite easy to know others opinion within a matter of seconds.

---

Special thanks to Johnie Pai for this story and for being awesome!!