When I am asked about my hobbies, I usually say that my main hobby is to prove that appearance is different from reality. And although I sometimes find it difficult and tiresome, deep down I still enjoy it immensely.
I first faced the problem of being judged according to my appearance, but not my abilities, when I was four years old and wanted to learn ballet dance. My mom took me to the dancing studio, but the teacher did not seem very eager to accept me. I was a plump girl who looked slightly clumsy and not a bit graceful. However, I begged her so much that she simply could not refuse. In fifteen years she confessed that she had never been so mistaken in her life. My inner desire was so strong that it helped me to succeed, and I even considered the possibility to pursue a dancing career.
When I was sixteen, I had two tattoos made and had my eyebrow and my lip pierced. Unfortunately, about the same time I had to change my school as my family had moved to a different city. It goes without saying that the day I appeared in a new school, I was labeled a “difficult kid”. During the next two months my academic achievements were met with lots of raised eyebrows. But I truly enjoyed the opportunity to prove again that appearance can be very deceptive.
The way a person looks is nothing but a combination of some physical characteristics with some image he/she wants to produce. The reality will lie far behind the facade and in order to get to know who the person really is, you will have to spend a lot of time communicating and getting to know each other.