Don't judge a book by its cover.

I never did write about Valdez. . .

Another day. It deserves a day when I'm in writing mode because it was an interesting place.

So, I've been home now for a few weeks and it's the same as it ever was. My niece and nephew are huge and my kitten is now a cat, but, other than that, things are the same. I was thinking about sameness today because I saw this site where a guy has been taking pictures of himself every day since 1998. It's cool to see what a little aging and hair can do to a person's overall appearance. He should have kept a diary along with the pictures to somehow track the outside world's response to him; though, I'm not sure how he'd go about it because he'd need to track it based on something he consistently does every day. Maybe one of those mood trackers or something so he could superimpose a graph on the video? okay, getting off track here. . . It's neat to think of it in terms of approachability, because he definitely goes through phases where he seems more and less approachable. Lesson learned: don't judge people by their hair.

{{{{{{{{{{wait, I'm adding this part after the fact because the mind wheels started turning. Should we continue judging people by their hair on some level? I mean, it's what they're presenting to the world, right? We choose how we'll present ourselves to the world on a daily basis, whether we like it or not. Our outfits and hair and makeup etc, or lack thereof, all speak to the world on some level. Ever notice while people watching that friends and couples tend to dress alike? I wonder if they dress alike before becoming friends and that's partially what attracted them to eachother, or if they met eachother and then melded their styles into one? I try not to be judgmental or intimidated by people that dress differently than me. I fail at times, but it's usually in the name of being judgmental and it's usually directed at people I feel are dressed like overpriced skanks (you know, those people who are obsessed with things that they think look good just because they cost a lot of money? Newsflash ladies; dress based on the goods on your body, not the goods in your wallet.) I'll try harder to accept my skanky sisters. . . oh, wait, no I won't. This calls for one of my all time favorite quotes:
Fashion is a form of ugliness so intolerable that we have to alter it every six months.

Oscar Wilde}}}}}}}}}}

It's amazing how our minds have the ability to glaze over major change because it's happening over too long a period of time for us to perceive. It's like watching your gas guage - you can't see it, but you just know that needle is moving. Small children, kittens and other beings that are still growing are the exception, of course (not gonna go into the plant world, here). It's interesting that we need to see a picture of ourselves from years ago to realize there's been a change. Imagine the horror if you kept a person away from a mirror and other reflective surfaces for 5 years. It's like we expect time to stand still because we can't see it moving.

All of that said, I look forward to aging. I've left some great phases and awkward phases in my looks behind and I'm interested to see where my looks will go in the future. I'm also interested to know if I'm currently in an awkward or good phase. Unfortunately, I won't know for a few years. Pity.