Don't Judge A Book By It's Cover

"Don't judge a book by its cover." A saying that many of us have heard before. The idea of being in someone else's shoes is something that not many people really dig deep down and think about. We do not know another person's story right when we meet them. It is up to us to be able to listen, actually listen, and understand where they are coming from. If you end up giving someone a chance, you may end up being best friends with that person. Stargirl, the main character in the book Stargirl is a girl who has been homeschooled all her life until her sophomore year when she started attending Mica High. The one thing everyone starts noticing about her is that she isn't "normal," and by normal, I mean what the known standard of a high school girl is about. But what is wrong with being different? She's one to stand in the middle of the cafeteria and start singing songs with nothing to worry about. She doesn't get embarrassed about anything and does what she thinks is best for her. This really gets people confused about why a teenage high schooler is acting the way she is acting. In this day in age, everyone is so worried about what others will think about them. 

Stargirl represents a leader, while everyone else represents followers. A quote in the book that really stuck out to me was said by Archie. He said, "She is more than we are us. She is, I think, who we really are. Or were" (Spinelli, 32). He is saying that she is who we are when we are in our comfort zone, or how we used to be when we didn't care about what other people thought about us. She takes the lead instead of following what everyone else does. Everyone likes Stargirl at first since she is unique and the new girl at the school. Over time, everyone starts to get a little annoyed with her since she isn't acting how everyone else acts. Some may see her as an "attention getter" and act in certain ways to be the center of attention. In society, it would be weird for someone to be doing something out of the ordinary. Another quote that Archie said was, "How did this girl come to be? I used to ask myself. Sometimes I thought she should be teaching me. She seems to be in touch with something that the rest of us are missing" (Spinelli,102). When a new trend is invented or put out into the world, everyone is usually on their way, wanting to try it themself since everyone else is doing it. When Stargirl would do something, it would be like she is the only one who knows the trend. Since Stargirl is the only one standing out and doing what she wants, no one else wants to follow because it's unusual and weird for someone else to do it since no one else is following. So, in my opinion, nothing is wrong with being different. It’s how other people react towards it and what they’re next action is towards it. Take lead, be yourself, and stand out rather than being a follower and blending it.