Short Scribbles: First Impression = Last Impression?

      I’ve been told since I was a child, “Whenever you meet someone for the first time, make sure to create a good impression. Because trust me, the first impression you create will be the one to last forever.” But now that I’ve started growing up (I believe so!) I’ve discovered that maybe, this is not true. And my experiences and encounters with people around me contribute (a little) almost every day to help me unlearn that one childhood lesson. 

When did I first realize this? 

When I was in school, I had a really good friend ( Lets call her A). We would always be together, having fun and a good laugh almost all the time. As Forrest Gump would say, we were “like peas and carrots”. All was well until someone new popped up in our class (Lets call her B). Since she was a new kid, we figured we’d help her out until she becomes comfortable and makes some friends. Well, you can pretty much guess what followed. She began to push me away and started creating a distance between me and A. This was followed by a lot of fights between me and A (who thought I was the one responsible for creating problems). This went on for almost a year until all three of us went on our separate ways. Today, even when we all meet up together, there is no longer that “friendship” which we had a few years ago.

Why did this happen? Because our so-called “first impressions” about each other started changing.

It has been rightfully said, 

  First impressions do matter in real life. What matters more though, is whether you can keep on carrying that good impression forward. Because once you get to know a person for who they really are, you start discovering that they actually aren't what they seemed to be. You may have a bad impression about someone based on how they look or maybe because of some rumors. But once you start talking to him/her, you realize, "Maybe he/she is not that bad, you know?"

 We are all familiar with the quote, "Never judge a book by its cover." But one of my friends was quick to counteract that by saying "True, we should never judge a book by its cover. But unless the cover is attractive, no one will ever bother to open the book." What I believe is, unless you actually take the risk to bother opening it, how would you know what treasure it holds? 

    So get out there and talk to that person whom you ignored yesterday because he/she didn't 'look' like your 'type' of person. You may just discover that they were probably the missing pieces in your life. They may probably be the 'right' person. 

  

  

                                                                                                       ~Athira 

 P.S. What impression has my writing created about me? Do let me know. :)