Katie Piper

(NOTE: You can Google this young lady’s name and ignore what I’m going to write following or you can read this post first but either way, please make a point of learning about her. Be warned, her story is not for the faint of heart. But I guarantee it will warm your heart.)

We (okay, I) frequently find myself bemoaning the seeming lack of (commitment, dedication, whatever) of the generation following mine own.  They’re not sufficiently aware of politics. They tend to be rude, by my lights. They’re too often self-absorbed, uninformed, clueless.

It’s easy to discount the motivations of others, especially when they belong to a definable demographic that’s different from your own. I find myself categorizing, measuring and ultimately feeling superior to strangers on the street or the bus, people in the news, and yes, kids. Which these days, means basically anyone under about age thirty-five. Tragic, I know, but I’ve never claimed not to be a Fudd.

I don’t like this aspect of my personality. But it’s undeniable and so, I welcome opportunities to remind myself that I’m not the source and arbiter of all things good and right.

A young – in this case, seriously, young – woman by the name of Katie Piper is the latest in a thankfully long list of folks who’ve forced me to adjust my world view. Katie is a beautiful human being whose very definition of beauty was redefined by the assailant a disgruntled ex-boyfriend hired to throw acid in her face.

Imagine being a drop-dead gorgeous twenty-something until the day you wake up in a hospital bed with one eye destroyed and half your face covered with scar tissue. And then go to www.katiepiperfoundation.org.uk to learn what Katie did.

I’m not qualified to sermonize about the courage, generosity and beauty you’ll see on this site. So I won’t. I’ll just say this – I think she’s still gorgeous.