[AndarieL] I flipped through a magazine and came across an interesting article; not nearly thought provoking but definitely soul awakening. For me. It was an Editor's Note - Shell Shocked was the title given. It was not much at first glance; although Stella did provide an interesting account of the on-goings of 4 hermit crabs. Yeah. Hermit crabs. But in retrospect, it jerked me straight into reflection mode... [Stella] ...Mama Cee would be the chick in the loud orange shell with sequins. Germs says she's a big bully who is always trying to 'chope' the little hut... ...Then there's Lily, whome Germs named after her favourite flower. She was the quiet inactive one who took up residence in the prettiest shell of all, a white one with glitter flowers. We secretly liked her best because she was such a feminine crab who picked the virginal white shell... [AndarieL] I've noticed - on numerous occassions, how much I've imposed my personal values and beliefs onto others - may it be friends, acquaintances, colleagues, superiors; anybody at all. I see someone wearing an oversized top and more tapered-than-not faded-out jeans - and my immediate reaction would be a loud, "Eerggh!" It doesn't really help matters that most of the time others join in and cheer you on! It was what I or 'WE' always felt as a 'natural' reaction. To judge. To quickly place he or she in my personal societal strata. To do a quick review if he or she is high up above me. Or down below. To use my own social glasses to peer at others. More often that not I've come to realize - it has made me more of a social outcast. I totally understand what Stella meant when she saw the crabs as a living analogy of the intricate webs of deceit and hypocrisy we weave in life. It is definitely funny how we tend to judge a book by its cover; or in this case, a hermit crab by its shell! Just look at how easy we labelled the crabs; purely on the shells they chose! This is the reality of the short and long sightedness of society - the pressures, the stereotypes, discrimination and ousting of beliefs we thought would be detrimental to... to... who really?? I'm glad life has brought me face-to-face literally into such a living irony. I have slowly learnt to remove the set-moulds I used to have. I have already embraced differences and sew it to my patchwork of experiences. It has made me more wholesome. Like Stella mentioned in her short note; [Stella] Think about the hermit crabs the next time you're guilty of making a hasty 'first-impressions' judgement. Think instead of what OTHERS are thinking about you. [AndarieL] Hmm... Source: LIME magazine, October 2006 |
