Inner Beauty

I believe in the importance of inner beauty. Take this into consideration. What if you were told that you were going to be blind for the rest for your life? How would you find beauty in someone if you no longer possessed the power to see how they appeared on the outside?

About two weeks ago my twelfth grade humanities class undertook the assignment of being blindfolded for one whole school day. Of course everyone felt the anticipation from the day we heard we were going to do this, and it kept building and building until the day finally came.

I awoke that morning feeling scared that I would be picked on and made fun of all day. I felt that no one would be there to help me and only torture me in my day of blindness. Fortunately, I was wrong.

Once I got to school I could see all of the scared yet excited faces of the people who were in my humanities class. We were to wear the blindfold from first period to fourth period, and our humanities class was third period. Everyone at first was reluctant to put it on, but as I looked around the courtyard of the upper school, I could see my fellow classmates putting them on as the first bell of the day rang.

So there I was, standing in the courtyard while probably everyone around me was staring at me as if I was crazy, but surprisingly I did not care. I reached out for my girl friends arm and she took me to English, my first period class. Once she left I felt as if I was alone, because I did not know very many people in that class.

Time came when I had to make my way to second period. My classmate in English, Patrick, openly offered to help me get to Spanish, and I was overcome with relief. I felt happy, actually. I suddenly “looked” upon Patrick with much respect, and felt as if I found the beauty in him that few people could see, just because of my “handicap.” By me being blind, I could see that he was the type of person willing to help the needy.

Once I walked into the Spanish class with assist from Patrick and my girlfriend, Amanda, I was greeted by people that I did not know very well. Once again I was helped by unexpected people. One person moved stuff out of the way, and another led me to my desk. I began to see that all of these people around me hold the beauty in them that few people can “see.”

At that point in time I began to realize the idea around the whole assignment. I have seen the beauty in people for how they are in the inside, not their appearance.

I was learning to appreciate people for how they are on the inside, and began to realize that is what is most important about someone.

Once as second period ended Amanda came once again to transport me to my humanities class. Something beautiful I found out about her that day is her patience. She was there with me the whole trip to class and did not once complain about how slow I was, and I was moving extremely slow. Instead, she told me exactly what to do and if I was about to hit anything, or anyone.

Just from this assignment I learned a few things that I never once saw in my girlfriend. Furthermore, this project unraveled more unseen beauties that I did not know were there before.

Just like that I began to see the project as a blessing and not a burden.

Once I entered Humanities, my teacher Mr. Owens told us all that we were going to continue watching a movie with our blindfolds on, and immediately I knew that it was going to be a interesting class.

During the movie we were to listen to the movie and try to understand whats going on. Even though we were blind, I really enjoyed listening to the movie, because it allowed me to “see” the movie from a different stand point. It made me question the phrase, “Seeing is believing.”

By the time that class ended I felt as if something in me had opened up. As if I could look at things in different ways, not just seeing it. I felt good, knowing that I realized this about myself.

Once again, a few friends of mine helped me get around during lunch time and actually helped me eat. No I am not saying they actually fed me, but they did help me if I was digging with my fork at nothing.

Once again I was learning new things about my friends because of this project. I was seeing the inner beauty inside of them and how they really are on the inside. It helped me recognize that they are more than just a bunch of teenagers, but that they contain certain qualities in them to make them beautiful.

I believe that everyone has something special in them that makes them beautiful. There is something in everyone that allows them to be unique, even if its sometimes hard to find.

When lunch was ending, many of my friends asked me how hard it was being blind. I told them that it was actually fun, and that even though I ran into about four walls, that it allowed me to look at things in different ways. I told them I was liking how I could see people for how they are on the inside, and I think they really understood what I was saying.

When the time came at the end of the day to take off the blindfold, I felt as if the whole time I had it on I wasn’t at school. I felt as if I were somewhere else where nothing was really as it was. I liked to had had the experience to look at things from a different point, and I believe it changed me as a person.

That day at school allowed me to appreciate the beauty in my friends family. I felt as if I met another side of the people in my life. They acted with such generosity that it made me feel good inside.

Most people in this world never really take the time to look at people for how they truly are, not even myself. Most people judge others by their appearance. I believe that this project helped me to start doing just the opposite of that. From that day on I made a promise to myself that I am going to get to know someone before I judge them, because there is more that meets the eye.