"going to the gym at this time should be illegal especially when a man burnt entirely walks in without a nose."
At the point of reading it, I had just watched the 'Pride of Britain' Awards where Katie Piper won an award for her extraordinary courage and determination - so without thinking, I decided to challenge this thoughtless and insensitive statement.
I asked the person how they would feel if they were in the man's shoes;
The nation knows from Katie Piper's story and her two documentaries (My Beautiful Face & My Beautiful Friends) that the scars make it fearful for burns victims to go out in public.
"It really knocked my self-esteem, it was at an all time low - I hated seeing my scarred face and covered it up with a protective mask for two years".
Her Mum, Diane, comments;
"She was terrified at first, of going out in public. It was as if she was a child, needing to be reintroduced to the world."
Katie continues;
"People were cruel. They judged me on my appearance, which made me feel like less of a person. I felt really bad so I hid away and cried. The first few times really knocked me back and I didn’t want to leave the house because I took it personally."
Whilst most of the time those people are not intentionally cruel, they’re uneducated and they’re seeing something they aren’t used to seeing because there isn’t enough awareness.
In the case of this comment, the author may have had the thought that they published - I am sure it may have provoked some thought in all of our heads (whether the same, or for me - not) because we would have been seeing something that we are not used to seeing.
However, we need to Think.
We need to think what that Man has been through. We need to remember that he did not ask to be like this. We need to understand him and his journey before we judge.
Just because we think something in our heads, we do not need to post it on a social networking site for the whole world to see. Not only can it be hurtful, but it can also be disrespectful.
The words we say have the power to end someone's life. The expression we give them can make them bleed. The things you do or the things you don't do can really hurt people. Words kill.
In life, people need to understand that what they write could have serious consequences for other people. I am sure everyone has looked at someone in the past, and made an opinion on them - I'm sure someone has looked at you in the past, and made an opinion about you. I can think of times where people have probably looked at me and made their opinion, but if they'd posted a thoughtless and negative comment about me on a social networking site I would have been really hurt, and it would have completely ruined me as a person - knocked my self-confidence.
In some cases, your words may lead to serious consequences. One teenager, Natasha MacBryde was found dead on a railway line hours after receiving an abusive and threatening message on the Formspring social networking website, an inquest was told.
The point is - We can think or feel something without having to tell the world world and potentially hurt someone else - we are all human, we all have feelings.
Life Lessons:
- Do not judge a person before you've walked a mile in their shoes because you have no idea what their journey is all about.
- Always think before you speak. You never know whose life you are affecting with your words.
