I JUDGED A GUY AT WALMART—AND I COULDN’T HAVE BEEN MORE WRONG

At Walmart, I noticed a tattooed young man in the snack aisle, his glances making me uneasy. I unfairly judged him as trouble. When an elderly woman dropped a bag of rice, he quickly helped, reassuring her and even paying for her groceries. I felt ashamed. Later, in the baking aisle, he assisted another shopper with spilled cake mix. I apologized for my assumptions, and we chatted briefly—he was Gideon, kind and unassuming. When my car wouldn’t start, he fixed it, shrugging off thanks. Days later, at a café, we bonded over volunteer work; his tattoos

honored his grandfather’s lessons of kindness. Gideon taught me to look beyond appearances. Our snap judgments can blind us to others’ goodness, robbing us of connections. His actions—helping strangers, fixing my car—showed that true character shines through stereotypes. Now, I pause before judging, knowing kindness often hides behind unexpected exteriors. Openness can spark friendships and reshape how we see humanity.