Book Covers

When I was riding a jeepney the other day as I do every morning a policeman came on board. He sat down and really spread his legs making himself all comfortable in our cramped little hellhole. What was peculiar about this policeman other than his haughty demeanor was that he wore gold rings, about three on each hand. He wore a gold watch too. All that was missing, I thought was a gold chain around his neck and what do you know, he had that one on his neck too.

There's an old saying, "Never judge a book by its cover." But as you get older, this adage as well as a lot of other things, start coming of as a lot of bull. While its difficult to truly know a person, how a person dresses or acts in public is but a mask, one of the many personas we create for ourselves to fill social roles. How we act in front of our parents is a lot different than how we act in front of our peers. Still, even if they are merely alternate personas, they still form a part of that persons true character. After all, we act in ways to make others perceive us as we desire. The way a person acts I think, reflects on the way he wants to be looked at.

So what of the policeman? What exactly did he want me think? He sure likes gold? And another thing, the man carried a gun and four magazines of ammo. Think about that for a second. Four magazines makes about forty bullets or more. What's with all the ammo? Is he gonna go run to the mountains to kill some rebels? As I sat in the jeepney slowly dying from carbon monoxide poisoning, I concluded selfishly that he was probably a showoff asshole. Why the hell would anybody wear that much gold? He was a damned policeman too! In that case, that would probably make him a corrupt showoff asshole now would it? Goddamned stupid fat showoff asshole with his guns and ammo, looking all tough and flash with all his jewelry. Its types like this that give a bad image for our law enforcement.

That policeman seemed to me like he wanted to be feared and respected. Too bad all that gold and ammo stirs up bad thoughts. Not so subtle. Don't judge a book by its cover. Hmm. OK. The policeman deep down might have been a nice guy. But really folks, "nice guys" don't board public transportation with a cocky swagger, take up twice as much space, display so much wealth and carry enough ammo to kill the forty thieves. I don't like books anyway.