Of course, this book is not really about being blind; its about looking past appearance to see the person underneath, it's about recognizing that personal qualities are more important than physical attributes, it's about treating people with respect. SO ASK YOURSEF:

How do you treat other people? Do you speak nicely or do you put - or rather, push - them down? Do you treat some people better than others because of the way they look? If you push people aroudn or push them down, why?

How do your friends treat others? If they treat others badly, do you speak up, join in or stand by and watch? What does this say about you? Ar you too weak to speak up against that behavior? Do you need to be part of a group that push others down so the group feels powerful? As former activist Eldridge Cleaver once said, "You're either part of the solution or part of the problem." What are you?

What about the people aroudn you? Do they trat you respectuflly or day they try to push you down? Sometimes you have to be around someone who treats you poorly; you live with them or sit next to them. Speak to them or someone else to try to get them to change their behavior. Bu more important, hold you head high. How they treat you doesn't say anything about you, but it speaks volumes about them and their need to push someone down. As former first lady Eleanor Roosevelt said, "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent." So although they keep trying to push you down, don't consent.

Sometimes you may even CHOOSE friends who are not good for you. If you choose to be around someone who pushes you down, why? You teach people how to tra you. If someone puts you down, stand up for yourself. That tells them you won't tolerate their behavior. They may change but, then again, they may not. If they don't you can leave. That will teach them even more about how you expect to be treated. If people put you donw and you decide to stay, you have just taught them it's okay to treat you that way. Oh, you may squeak and squeal, complain and feel sorry for yourself, but you haven't really stood up to them and plainly said, "No more!"

What would happen if each of us took one step forward in the way we treat each other? What would happen if we stopped ourselves from saying something negative? What would happen if we reached out in kindness to someon who is struggling, or if we gave respect to all people despite their appearance, their situation, or even their actions? Wouldn't this world be a much nicer place in which to live?