Stephen

Dear friend,

I'm gonna tell you a story about Stephen. Stephen sells magazines in the street for money. A lot of people doesn't even look at him and I'm ashamed to admit I used to be one of them. He tries to get people's attention with a nice Hello or just a smile. But at the end of the day he still struggled sell all his magazines. Why? you might ask. Because people judge him from the second they see him.

Stephen doesn't own any fancy clothes or has a posh accent. Stephen is just Stephen. With a heart of gold and a smile that makes you warm inside. And all he wants is a smile back or someone to talk to him. He doesn't mind people saying no to his magazines, obviously not everyone wants a one. But what upsets him is people that pretends like he's just not there. He once said "The brick wall behind me gets more attention than me..." and that really hurt me hearing him say that. Unfortunately that is the brutal truth.

Just standing next to him for a couple of minutes and people does the same to you. Not a glance, not a smile. Nothing. Just walking past, leaving you feeling worthless.

After experiencing that I promised myself I would never just walk past someone like that. Even if it just means turning your head saying No thank you. That's all it takes. Small things make a big difference, especially when you already feel worthless.

Stephen is now a friend of mine and I really enjoy talking to him once in a while when I see him smiling in the street. If only people knew what a kind man Stephen is.

Dear friend, I hope you don't judge a book by it's cover...
you never know what you will find underneath!

Love
Suembi Lue x x