judging books by their covers

My son is getting cuter and cuter! Sorry for being a gushing dad... but this picture is just too funny and really speaks volumes about who he is. But thats what I think.... I mean how much can I really know about him? He is 5 and a half months and he is just beginning to shape and form into who he is supposed to be. I can tell what he wants by his grunts and movements and all that stuff, but I couldn't tell you who he is going to be as he grows. He is away for a couple of days with mommy visiting family in the States and I am stuck with work, so I am feeling a little more sentimental than usual. But who he will be made me think about someone I bumped into on the metro the other day.

I didn't really bump into him. People kept a very wide berth from him. It was a teenager... he was about 15 years old and I could tell just by looking at him he was very, very low on the social food chain. It was sad that I could tell this by one quick glance at him and everyone else seemed to be able to as well. His hair was messed up and obviously uncared for. His underwear was sticking well over his waist band for his pants that were too big for his waist and well too short for his legs. His shirt was tucked into his underwear. He had leftover food from a meal on his shirt, cheek, and upper lip. His upper lip was trying to grow facial hair but it was obvious that it wouldn't be a little while for it to fill in. It actually looked like a 2 year old was drawing well outside the lines and gave up after the first few strokes. But besides his appearance it was his attitude that gave him away. He looked dejected and resigned to his fate. He knew that he was at the bottom of the totem pole and I imagine that he has had his fare shair of people teasing him and reminding him of that fact. He stood in the metro accepting of his situation but still sad and hurt. I could tell he had learned to tune out his emotions to emotionally survive. He has created defense mechanisms to slip away from the torment of his peers by not caring in the least. Once you get so low people lose interest because the challenge isn't there. I felt sorry for him, but at the same time glad that I wasn't in his shoes. I am selfish.

I then thought of my son. I hoped he wouldn't turn out this way. I hoped and do hope he will be well liked. Not so popular that people will be jealous and it will go to his head, but well liked enough that he is grounded and can be a go-in-between for all the cliques out there. So I am thinking about how difficult it could be for my son if he is outcasted and I am stuck. I want to say it doesn't matter. It will matter to him no matter how strong he is. It will matter to his mother and I as we see him grow up and face these issues...

It works out to that what will come will come. I will love him no matter what. And that maybe I should spend more time actually reading "books" than judging their covers.