I did not pay much attention to it at first. I had a lot of trouble understanding how the someone’s design could be such an important or crucial aspect of a person’s life. The reality of appearance is that when you are four, five, six and seven you do not think about all the differences that we let divide us. Instead, we think about what mommy is making for dinner or what type of unicorn we want to add to our stuffed animal collection. The first time I ever realized that appearance was such an important aspect of an individual in society,  I was about nine years old. I was at my ex-teammates house. Her house was mystifying to a nine-year-old me. The young girl lived in a house with a pool, soccer field, movie theatre and more. This was the kind of thing that people dream about having their whole lives, and here it was right under her finger tips, yet she could not understand the magnitude of her blessings. Nonetheless, we were walking up the stairs on the way back to the pool and she began to stare at me, my lips in particular. Then, she proceeded to ask me why my lips were so big. I was hurt, as I was a sensitive child; however, I never heard anyone say such a thing to me before. Quite some time after, I called my mother and asked her to pick me up as soon as possible. Later, I explained what the young rich girl had said about my lips. My mom became enraged and told me that I was beautiful. I did not understand why she was so upset then, but today I do. We have all been conditioned to appreciate some physical aspects, but not all. Why is that we are taught to admire thin, blonde, blue eyed beauties? Why do we fail to appreciate bigger, darker skinned, pimple faced, blacks or brunettes? It is important to recognize that all of these beliefs hinder us. Appreciation for all people is important. Without appreciation for all people we limit our ability to make effective change and focus on inflicting important change. Appreciation and education is key to a successful and cohesive society.