I realized in one of my Monday classes that I don’t know any personal information about anyone in my classes. 

I remember in high school knowing what kind of household everyone was raised in.

A topic of discussion that came up in my class went something along the lines of, if we were in a life-threatening situation, such as being on a sinking boat, who would we save—one of our parents or our significant other?

For nearly all of the class, it was obvious. They would save mom or dad, but to others it was just the opposite. 

When we were discussing why some of the class had chosen what they had, one of my classmates argued that no one can replace your parents. 

You can just get a new boyfriend/girlfriend or husband/wife. Parents are irreplaceable. They raised you and gave you the life you have now. That is true, for some.

Unfortunately, what the rest of the class came to find out was that not everyone had a happy childhood. 

For some, the question was not whether to save mom/dad or the significant other; it was, why are my parents even with me? 

They might not ever speak to their parents. For the rest of the class, it was heartbreaking to know that not everyone had it so easy, but this brief question and discussion opened our eyes to the world around us. 

A few students even had their own viewpoint on the question. Those students were thinking, “depending on the situation, maybe I could save them both.”   

In any instance that the question was answered, I got a glimpse of who each of my classmates were. Compared to high school, personality is not as easily detected.

Judging someone based on their choices, how they act or even how they look will not get you anywhere. 

From high school, the quiet boy who twiddled his thumbs ended up being my greatest love, and the loud, obnoxious girl in the lunch room ended up being my best friend. 

Not everyone wears their true colors on the outside. We relate to people who have gone through some of the same battles we have. We accept comfort from those who have familiarized the path we are on. 

We know that we are not supposed to judge a book by its cover, but sometimes the world we live in makes it hard not to. Be cautious of your surroundings and keep an open mind. Not everyone is on the same boat.

Karena Ozier is a freshman elementary education major. She can be reached at 581-2812 or at kmozier@eiu.edu.