A book is something one can read for entertainment or to express feelings about something. As the topic says, we don’t have to judge something because of how it looks on the outside but who knows? Maybe it can reveal something for someone; these titles are not always about a book; they can also be about people’s lives and behaviour. By this I mean that how they look or act does not describe their true taste. Some people are good on the outside but their inside life, that’s something else.

According to many people’s beliefs, judging a person by their outside is a good choice to make. They never want to look at one’s life twice but run immediately to the word ‘judge’. Many don’t want to accept one’s true character, but accept what’s outside it.

Judging a book by its cover is usually not a good method and one can see better. I’ve been through a lot and experienced a lot of things. There goes one story: Once in a lifetime, there was a girl called Thando. She came from a rich family and was beautiful. The only thing that people didn’t know much about her was her performance in school. The cute, charming, unresisting Thando was my best friend and compared to her I was better; not beautiful but ugly.

However, when it came to school work, I was intelligent and a hard worker but no one took me seriously; instead they took me for granted. There was nothing I could do to make people see who I truly was. Thando was a rebellious child, but people turned it to me because I was too forward and talkative. There came a time when everyone started to realise who I was and who Thando was.

She started to be sleepy during most of the class periods. She lost focus and that hurt me most. I noticed that something was wrong and, shame on me, I couldn’t even ask my Bestie what was eating her for days until one day I told myself to bury my pride and talk to my sister in Heaven. It was nice hearing from her as it was months that she’d been absent from school. What hurt me most was the four words I heard from her: “Choma, I am pregnant” she told me. I felt as if I was dreaming, I felt that the world had turned upside down. Life was now very complicated.

As time went on, people started to see that I was a hard worker and to recognise my beauty too. Life was juicy to me as I was in Grade 11 and working towards building my better tomorrow. People started to see me as an important person and they never looked at my background. Thando was left all alone and as a friend I had to help and support her in every way. Life was somehow strange. People thought that because I was from a poor family, there’s nowhere I’d be able to go and no one would marry an ugly girl like me. They thought worse of me but better of Thando and it was a shame to them only to see what the world has for me. They judged me before I acted my part. They called my name before I reached the stage.

But look where I am today and where my best friend is! She’s everyone’s everyday topic, she’s everyday language. Shame on her; even kids discuss her. They judged her by her skin and as for me, they judged me by my background, but let me tell you something: Never ever judge a book by its cover.

That’s why I say my background doesn’t determine my better tomorrow and as for you, today’s situation doesn’t determine how your next minute is going to be, so stand still and never judge someone by their skin or what they look like. My today, your yesterday, doesn’t reflect my tomorrow and your next day.