Heroes Not Zombies

I was heading home on the train from Glasgow to Stirling the other day. I enjoy having my daily commute of about an hour in a train or a bus either way because it gives me quiet, undisturbed time to sit and think, or read, or write, or listen to my ipod. This particular day there was a young, blonde woman opposite me. At one of the stations she moved and sat in another seat (I think to have a table to herself!). The train arrived at Stirling station and I gathered up my belongings and headed for the door. As I passed her table she said, in an American accent, “Excuse me sir. I feel I’m supposed to give you this” and handed me this –

I was a bit taken aback and without thinking stepped off the train with the gift in my hand. It was a metal box. I unclipped its magnetic catch and opened the lid to reveal this –

So now I’m thinking……what??!! A bible!!?? Why me? What did she see in me to make her think she should give this to me! Worse, it was a well worn box which was obviously her frequently used personal copy of the bible. She wasn’t even a bible distributer handing bibles out to strangers like some kind of Scotrail Gideon! What had she seen in me? Did I look depraved and in need of saving? Was I looking weary and worn and needing my spirits lifted? It was all deeply disturbing! What did she think was wrong with me? What need did she think she saw in me?

Then I remembered what I had been reading as she had sat opposite me. Here’s what she would’ve seen –

OK, so now I understand! She thought I was searching for happiness and I guess she thought I’d be more likely to find it in the pages of her bible than in Daniel Gilbert’s book. Well, it was a kind thought. It involved some sacrifice for her to give away something that was important and personal to her. But! She judged me! She saw what book I was reading and figured not only what kinds of problems I might be facing but how I might best find the answers! Thank you for your kindness, anonymous American girl, but I wasn’t searching for how to be happy. I am happy. And you can rest assured your gift will not get any more worn out than it was the day you gave me it.

An interesting variation on the old saying, huh? Not only can you not judge a book by its cover, but you shouldn’t judge a person by the cover of the book they’re reading!