We’ve heard the cliché a million times: “Don’t judge a book by its cover”. But let’s be honest: we do it all the time. At least, I do. Last week, I had a great reminder that I shouldn’t be so quick to jump to conclusions:
Every Thursday night, my husband and I play in a pool league. We’re on a great team and we always have a wonderful time together. But last week, we were scheduled to play in a location 45 minutes away. A location where we had never played before. And, a location I had not heard good things about. I was not looking forward to the evening.
As we neared the River Café, the dark road narrowed with ominous tress branches hanging over the path. It reminded me of the horror films I used to watch when I was a teen. I expected Jason to jump out from behind those trees any minute. The rough-looking exterior of the café matched the spooky ambiance of the drive.
As you’ve already guessed, my preconceived notions were completely wrong. The regulars were very wonderful, with many making a point to introduce themselves and chat with us as if we were old friends. I’ve never felt more relaxed and welcome. And the food? Fantastic! We finished the night with a standing invitation from the home team “to come back anytime”, and our team cannot wait to host the good folks from The River Café on our own turf. I once again learned to never judge a book by its cover, never believe what you hear from others, and give everyone the benefit of the doubt. If I hadn’t last Thursday, I would have missed out on some great times, great food, and great new friends.
Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
Comedian Dan Wilbur is doing his share to help us all remember that we shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. After all, there are no cats in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. So, Wilbur recreates book covers with the titles that should actually be on them. Here are a few examples:
King Lear: It’s Time to Put Dad in a Home
The Help: Diarrhea of a Mad Black Woman
50 Shades of Grey: My Husband Has Not Had Sex with Me Since 1998
7 Habits of Highly Effective People: I’m Only Reading This So My “Friends” Will Stop Telling Me to Read This Book (Powerful Lessons to Annoy People)
Charlotte’s Web: Spiders Make Great Publicists
The Devil Wears Prada: Shallow People Doing Shallow Stuff
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo: This is the First Book I’ve Read in Six Years
