Perception of a Person

     It's interesting to think about how every person views the world, views their life. Even if we think we know their life, we will never truly understand because we are not them; we don't view the world through their eyes, walk life in their shoes. Though we can relate to experiences they have had that are similar to those we have seen, we cannot fully experience what they saw, touched, heard, felt at those moments. We will never know what they truly experience; we can only know for sure what we experience firsthand.
     No one can ever really know what's going on in your mind, what you think and feel on a specific topic. Sure, we can share our opinions on various subjects, how different topics make us feel. One can never know, though, if that's how you truly feel or if that's what you want everyone to believe you feel, because you're scared of how they would react to what you truly think and feel.
     Everyone has secrets, past events they don't feel comfortable sharing with anyone. Some could be things that happened as a child, or as a teenager, or as an adult. Whatever the event was, whenever it happened, it changed you. You may not notice how it changed you; to you, you still act the same as you did before it happened. Externally, you're like you always have been; inside, you're falling apart. Though you may not know personally what demons everyone is facing, everyone has them.

The elderly man at the grocery store, he fought for our country and still has nightmares of the things he saw and did overseas.

The single mother of two, she lost her husband and now works as hard as she can to keep food in her children's stomachs and a roof over their heads. 

The super jock, his father will only talk to him if he brings up sports. 

The head cheerleader, her mother won't listen when she says she prefers choir to cheer. 

The band nerd, he needed a place to be where he wouldn't be bullied for being different. 

The theater performer, she lives the lives of countless characters so she can pretend she's someone else for a while, rather than the outcast she has become. 

The girl with her nose constantly in a book, she grew up reading because she was the awkward youngest child who didn't fit in with her siblings. 

The boy who's constantly punching whatever he can, he needs to build up his strength so he can one day stop his dad from abusing his mom. 

The girl working a full time job in high school, she has to make money to provide for her younger siblings and her mother. 

The girl who always looks pissed off, she's still coming to grips with her grandmother's sudden death.

The boy who always talks in class, nobody at home will listen to him.

The girl, the boy, the mom, the grandparent, the child, the person...

He's angry, she's sad, they're overly preppy, they've never said more than two words in class...

     Everyone has a past. Events and catastrophes that have had a role in shaping them into the man, woman, child we see before us. The person on the outside doesn't always reflect the person on the inside. Rarely ever does it truly represent who we are; it's easier to put on an appearance of who we believe people want us to be, rather than being ourselves. Our perception of people may be right, and yet they may be incredibly wrong. 

Do your perceptions of people match who they really are?

Do peoples perception of you match who you really are?

What's behind your facade?