'Never judge a book by its cover' is a principle that many of us have been told and tell one another, but not many of us actually follow the rule. Think about it - how many times have you got to know someone and realised that they aren't the sort of person you expected them to be?
All of us are guilty of it in some respects, but some will make the broadest assumptions of someone just because of what they look like or what they do for a living. However, when Andy Ross, from Vancouver, was met with limited expectations, he ended up absolutely schooling the woman who assumed the worst of him.
Andy, a construction worker, went to the supermarket at the end of his workday, when he noticed a little girl looking at him. With tattoos on his arms, and his face dirty from a long day's work, he knew why she was looking. But what he wasn't expecting was how dismissively he was treated by the child's mother.
As the mother and daughter finished what they were doing and walked away, he heard the mother quietly tell her child, "that is why you need to stay in school". That's when Andy decided to educate both of them on the truth of the matter. He later made a Facebook post about the conversation, which has now gone viral.
In the post, he wrote:
"First, I happen to be a very educated dirty man. I not only have a high school diploma, I also have a college degree and many medical certifications. So assuming that I am uneducated because of my appearance is actually quite ignorant in itself.
"Secondly, if you are telling your daughter to stay in school because I have tattoos up and down my arms, that will actually suppress her creativity and potentially hinder her imagination as she develops.
"I am proud of my tattoos and artwork that Forrest Bateman put on my body. It’s a representation of my pride in my country and my service over multiple combat tours as a special operations medic."
He then went on to describe how - despite the fact she seems to think he got where he is because of a lack of education - he actually chose his current line of work. He is proud of his work, believes that it matters to the world, and simply found that working in an office environment wasn't for him.
"I enjoy working with my hands and being outdoors. Subsequently, it comes with being dirty some days. I make good money, have benefits, and am able to provide for my family without issue. So my appearance reflects nothing to do with my level of intelligence or pursuing a higher level of education.
"I left the two with a simple final statement of 'have a good day and try not to judge people before you know anything about them'. Good luck with her little girl."
He ends his message with a lesson for us all, describing how we shouldn't "judge people at first glance". Andy explains that doing what you love and enjoy will make sure each day never feels like work, and while education is important, college doesn't guarantee you anything.
And, perhaps most importantly, "when attempting to insult someone’s intelligence and education level, don’t allow yourself to be out educated by said dirty man". Well said.
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