What's Your Story?

I'm often caught staring at strangers, studying them, wondering who they really are.  It's not creepy or rude, my intent is not to make people uncomfortable.  I just have a strange habit of trying to figure people out, I want to know their story.  I find myself wondering where they grew up, where they work, what their home life is like, how they handle things when life becomes arduous.  The questions go on and on because I am truly interested; our individualism amazes me, for everyone has a story and no two are the same.  This is the way I have always been, because I believe that you can't judge a book by it's cover.  Just to think of all the tremendous books I would have missed out on had I done that makes me truly appreciate the cliche, and to think of all the people that would have never impacted my life does the same. 
Our society loves to separate us into our own little cages where we can be comfortable with "our own kind".  We are conditioned both blatantly and subliminally to segregate ourselves; to judge or even hate other people at a distance and to keep interaction at a minimum.  "The bum on the corner, the black guy behind the gas station register, the pizza guy, the white girl in all black"; descriptive words are used to trigger recognition by stating basic attributes: but those descriptions become entire identities in most people's minds. There lies the problem, for a person cannot be described in a handful of shallow words.  The color of someones skin or the price of their home will never tell you what's in their heart, it will never tell you what goes on in their mind or what tribulations and accomplishments they have seen.
 I wonder if we will ever breach the walls of the status quo and fight to rebuild our broken society on the principles of love and peace.  I know the world will never be that way, but if enough of us wanted it to we could make a great impact on humankind.  Thanks for reading, may God bless your life and fill your heart with peace and love.