I believe in the power of underestimation. I believe that we judge people based on their appearance and underestimate their capabilities.  Our ignorance doesn't allow us to look past the way a person looks nor does it allow us to get to know someone better.  Everyday all of us are a target of being judged and underestimated. We may not always see it, but we are the target and too often we are also the shooter.  However, we fail to realize that our quick judgments and our underestimation of a person prevent us from ever giving someone a chance to show who they really are.  We label with permanent marker people so quick that it becomes hard for them and for us to remove the label.  Our judgments and underestimation of people not only hurt us, but them as well. 

              Never before had I realized how much it hurt someone to be underestimated or labeled by people.  It wasn't until meeting Olga, a disabled Blue Valley North student that I realized how cruel some of us can be when it comes to judging someone.  Olga, stood in front of our Sociology classroom ready to do a presentation on disabilities.  Not an ounce of fear showed on her face, she was small, but her presence was stronger then anyone I'd ever met.  Finally she spoke to us, she told us about the struggles throughout her life and the gruesome and long process of being adopted from Russia .  She loved to text, play the guitar, knit, play soccer, and swim.  She did so much more then what a non disabled person would do.  She explained the everyday struggles she had to go through, from things like putting on her clothes to doing her homework with her feet.  However, Olga said that no matter what happened she would never give up.  At that point I admired her, but I also felt the guilt inside me because I too underestimated her. I thought that with a disability she may not be able to do what we all do, but I was proven wrong. I was fortunate enough to learn all this, but unfortunately people out in the public will never get to see the Olga I saw, instead they'll see someone with a disability who isn't capable of doing much.

              At that moment Olga was asked, that if she could have one wish come true for a day what it would be, she replied teary eyes “I wish that one day I could go into the store and not be stared at by everyone around me… I want people to look at me for who I am and not my disabilities.”  People like Olga struggle everyday by being labeled and underestimated.  She and many of us face a world that judge's people based on their appearance and yet not all of us have the strength Olga has to carry on a strong life.  I believe that people's underestimation hurts others and also hurts them.  I believe that underestimating someone will destroy you.  I believe that if we give someone just one chance, it may amaze us at how capable someone is of doing something.  I believe that those who underestimate others are the ones that themselves are underestimated.