Judging books.

Everybody knows the phrase "don't judge a book by their cover" and yet so many people do.

This is even more important when the person you're judging is silently suffering from an invisible illness, I understand that not every teenager slouched across two bus seats is doing do because of an illness - I'll admit that some simply are being rude but look a little deeper, just take a few extra seconds to scan their eyes, to take in their posture and try to understand if they're not offering you a seat for a reason. And if you do see some pain or some sadness then try to consider how it would feel if you were being stared at like your scum because your sat in the seats with a little extra legroom.

Not to be stereotypical but this in my experience this occurs most with elderly women, I don't know why but it just seems to be a trend. I've spent a lot of time on public transport, in doctors surgery's or in a waiting room when I have been sat in a chair (sometimes there will even be other empty chairs around) and I have had an elderly woman stand and stare straight at me in an intimidating manner as if I am the pure scum of the earth because I have sat where they want to sit, and they feel entitled because they are older and have bad hips or arthritis. Well I am sorry but chances are I am in just as much pain as they are, if not more, and I deserve this seat as much as they do.

The worst part is when you try to explain and your met with "But you don't look ill" or " When I was your age I would do this...and I still had respect for the elderly". Perhaps age doesn't coincide with wisdom because I am sure that caring for my own health and wellbeing does not make me disrespectful, and I'm probably a third of their age.

Today I was hit in the back of the knees twice by an elderly woman and her walking frame, when I looked at her expecting an apology or at least an apologetic look I was met with "Oh don't whinge, you wouldn't know real pain if it hit you." As you can imagine this left me speechless, and almost in tears as this assault had been incredibly painful, so here is my message for the day : don't judge a book by it's cover, you'll never know what's underneath unless you take the time to look.

Just because someone may look fine doesn't mean they are.