I am not who you think I am. Admittedly, I am pretty predictable. I am loud, talk too much, laugh a little too loudly, always have a joke, rarely serious, and a bit tiresome at times.
You are not who I think you are either. But, since I don’t really know you, I won’t give examples. Fair enough?
Since we don’t really know each other, it seems that that would be enough of a reason to keep from jumping to conclusions and rushing to judgment, right?
Let’s face it, we are mysterious you and I.
Just because we often live predictable lives, doesn’t mean we should expect predictable behavior all the time. Curiosity and Mystery walk hand in hand. That would probably be a great way to get to know someone, even our enemy.
Approaching a person as an unknown can create some great questions.
What scares you? What gives you courage? What brings you joy? When was the happiest moment of your life? What was the saddest?
Where is the most beautiful place you’ve ever seen? Where do you find peace of mind?
Why do you believe the things you believe?
Are you afraid of people really seeing you? Would you love to be seen and know that you would still be loved?
We are mysteries awaiting discovery.
I think it would be fun to approach everyone in our lives as a mystery instead of a foregone conclusion.
Take the time and find out about someone you think you know. Be curious and shake up some of your preconceived notions and let the mystery of the other be revealed .
Hey, it’s better than a sharp stick in the eye. That I promise.
Skin Ministries 
I learned years ago that, no matter how truthful one can be about themselves, others will make their own truth and stick with it. People who have “known” me for years have not clue one on who I am, who I want to be, where I come from, etc, and quite frankly, I don’t think they care. Such is life.
this might be what Jesus meant by turning the other cheek………..
sometimes people prefer not to get to know you, they need to use something as the THING to dump their pent up anger on, it’s easier for them to scapegoat you, than deal with their anger in a more constructive manner, that actually puts responsibility on themselves to move past their anger rather than use you as the THING on which to dump it. Your efforts to get to know them may only be met with continuous, figurative slaps across the face. Then the best thing to do is to simply turn your back to them, your butt has more padding.