"Not Waving But Drowning"

“Not Waving But Drowning”

I think that everyone’s initial impressions of people are always wrong or not as accurate as they could be. You can’t ever fully understand someone’s personality when you first meet them. It takes time and shared experiences for people to understand each other better.
I recall the first time I met a new student to University at a summer soccer practice. She was new to the school and new to Indiana, which made adjusting twice as hard. I could tell she was really shy and I knew I was the same way. After that first soccer practice, I went to basketball camp, which she was also going to. We recognized each other immediately and found some shelter within each other’s company because we were both strangers and outsiders among the basketball team. Soon, other people started warming up to us and after a couple hours we both felt somewhat comfortable with the team. By the end of the camp, we had gotten closer and we had already learned a lot about each other. I could tell that she was very nice and was very nervous about starting school at a new place where she knew very few people. After camp, there were a few soccer practices left. We were usually partners because neither of us knew the other players very well and I could tell that she still felt uncomfortable in the mass of new, unfamiliar faces. By the time school rolled back around, she had met some new people but not well enough to feel completely settled for the first day of school. When I got to school, I found some of my old friends and then found her soon enough. Luckily, we had our first class together so that took some ease out of the beginning of the first day. After a couple days, we had become pretty good friends, and I couldn’t even remember her as the timid, nervous person she was when I first met her. In a way, she didn’t even look the same.
My initial impression didn’t alter negatively but it became clearer and I have a better understanding of her personality. Meeting new people always brings surprises. You could find a new, possible friend, or a person who you’re going to battle with for the next four years, or better yet, you could find your long lost best friend that you’ve been searching for since fourth grade. I’m sure people have misunderstood me when they first met me and then later realized something different about me. Everyone has first impressions of new people. But once you get to know them, they could be completely opposite than what you first expected. Afterall, you should never judge a book by its cover.