Beauy is in the Eye of the Beholder by Anna Oikonomou

BEAUTY IS IN THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER

Arsakeio Lykeio of Thessaloniki, Anna Oikonomou and Panagiota Economou

Remember how in that communion only, beholding beauty with the eye of the mind, he will be enabled to bring forth, not images of beauty, but realities (for he has hold not of an image but of a reality), and bringing forth and nourishing true virtue to become the friend of God and be immortal, if mortal man may.

Plato,

“Symposium”, 209-212c

Arsakeio Lykeio of Thessaloniki, Anna Oikonomou and Panagiota Economou

I was very pretty I had glory Everybody wanted to be my friend I went to a party and I was the queen Because I was beautiful Everybody wanted me There, I and my friends drink, smoke The full ignorance of my actions reached me here! I distinguish other girls and boys Because they were not beautiful I had bad influences I too became one of those bad people Suddenly, my life might stop! The full ignorance of my actions reached me here! I walked in a street and A car ran into me … The wheel stepped on my face My beauty, my glory lost in the moment The full ignorance of my actions reached me here! My face disfigured and I couldn’t myself in the mirror see! I was in shock My friends were not with me I understood. There were no friends for me now. I felt lonely and I said every day: “That’s me in the corner. That’s me in the spotlight. I have lost my religion!” The full ignorance of my actions reached me here! Barba Asimenia Arsakeio Lykeio of Thessaloniki, Anna Oikonomou and Panagiota Economou

Arsakeio Lykeio of Thessaloniki, Anna Oikonomou and Panagiota Economou

Somewhere in North America, lived a man named Jim who didn’t have a family. He was 30 years old and he lived in a small house. He was tall and he was good-‐looking, too. He worked as an architect. One day, when he was going to work, he suddenly crashed with a truck. All the people who saw the accident were shocked. Only an old gay man went to help Jim. He took him to hospital. After six months, Jim was dismissed. His face had been disfigured His appearance was changed. When he went back home and saw his face in the mirror, he was shocked. After a few weeks, he went to work, but his boss fired him because his appearance was awful. One woman, named Julia, considered him to be lovable because he had a great character inside. From that moment onwards, Jim and Julia were inseparable. They got married and now have four kids. Grointas Vaggelis Arsakeio Lykeio of Thessaloniki, Anna Oikonomou and Panagiota Economou

Arsakeio Lykeio of Thessaloniki, Anna Oikonomou and Panagiota Economou

When I was a five-year-old student, my family and I went to Athens to visit my cousins. I hadn’t seen them for a long time. My cousin, Helen, was very beautiful and lovable. She was ten years older than me and she was my role-model. When we went there and saw her, I was shocked. Her face and her appearance had changed. I asked my uncle what she had done and he told me that she had had a car accident. All of a sudden, I began crying a lot. I ran to see her and she reassured me. At that moment, she gave me a mirror to see myself. She told me that beauty is not the most important thing in the world. Now, I am sixteen years old and I still remember that time. I think that you must have a big, beautiful inside world. Antoniou Chrysanthi-Maria Arsakeio Lykeio of Thessaloniki, Anna Oikonomou and Panagiota Economou

Arsakeio Lykeio of Thessaloniki, Anna Oikonomou and Panagiota Economou

It was a Sunday night when somebody suddenly hit the door of my house. I was in my bedroom and got rather scared. Then, I went downstairs and looked myself in the mirror. Then, I thought that I would die. The inside of my house felt very frightening, but I wanted to protect my family and our house. I was willing to sacrifice everything for my parents. At that moment, Ii don’t know what I had to do, but I was sure I was dying. For my security, I went to the kitchen and I took a knife. I stepped down slowly to the door and I asked who it was, but nobody answered my question. At that moment, I felt shocked and the colour of my face changed. In the end, I opened the door and I saw in the rain a disfigured face, but I couldn’t see very well because I was shocked. Luckily, the disfigured human face belonged to my lovable sister!

Anagnostou Lefteris

Arsakeio Lykeio of Thessaloniki, Anna Oikonomou and Panagiota Economou

You were lovable and a beauty And you played “Call of Duty” Till the moment of the shock And inside you felt a block. Suddenly, your appearance changed, Your mirror broke, you were strange The disfigurement of your look Made you look like Captain Hook. Bakratsas Alexis Arsakeio Lykeio of Thessaloniki, Anna Oikonomou and Panagiota Economou

Arsakeio Lykeio of Thessaloniki, Anna Oikonomou and Panagiota Economou

Beauty is not about having the prettiest face, but it is about having the purest heart. There are many people who have some disfigurement in their body and as a consequence, they avoid looking at themselves in mirrors. But, they have an amazing character and really good traits as far as their personality is concerned. A girl, who had everything in her life, faced one day the worst experience in her whole life. She was in a car which crashed suddenly with another one. At that moment, she thought that she had lost her life or that after that, everything would be definitely different. However, in the following days, she woke up and she was shocked when she looked at her disfigured appearance. She was completely disappointed and she thought that she would never be lovable among her friends and family again. As a conclusion, every person should not criticize others relying only on their appearance, but they should actually look deeper inside them. They should approach them and make them feel confident, despite their abnormal external features. Apart from that, if we behave in a bad way to those people, we have to change ourselves and to make attempts in order to provide them with our support. We can all contribute and we can surely achieve this goal.

Svoli Kyriaki Arsakeio Lykeio of Thessaloniki, Anna Oikonomou and Panagiota Economou

Arsakeio Lykeio of Thessaloniki, Anna Oikonomou and Panagiota Economou

Beauty is temporary. One day you have your life, your job, your happiness and in a moment you can lose everything. People you love, friends, activities you do. An accident is that moment that can change your whole life, your routine, yourself. If you survive, maybe you can enhance your appearance, maybe you’ll get disfigures. Your “friends” may desert you because they will be shocked. You may even lose your job because your boss may not want to see your scarred face any more. Imagine yourself looking in the mirror and searching for your old face remembering all the good old times with your friends or your girlfriend who now pretends she doesn’t know you. Suddenly, you realize you’ve grown and you keep asking yourself: “Why?” “Why should it happen to me? Why should I live? Why didn’t I die at the accident?”

Papadopoulos George Arsakeio Lykeio of Thessaloniki, Anna Oikonomou and Panagiota Economou

Arsakeio Lykeio of Thessaloniki, Anna Oikonomou and Panagiota Economou

A moment in front of the mirror αnd you will have the chance to understand that beauty is not just based on appearance. Τhen, you will be shocked and suddenly you will find that beauty comes from inside you. The disfigurement is charming!!! Kiriakos Ioannidis Arsakeio Lykeio of Thessaloniki, Anna Oikonomou and Panagiota Economou

Arsakeio Lykeio of Thessaloniki, Anna Oikonomou and Panagiota Economou

Once upon a time, there was a very beautiful girl. But, she had a car accident and her face was disfigured. She couldn’t look at her face in the mirror. Her dream was to gain her life again, but it was impossible. She couldn’t forget the accident. The shock was lifechanging. Suddenly, a light entered the room and

a fairy appeared. The girl burst into

tears because of happiness. She asked her without second thoughts to make her lovable again. It was the moment of her life! Magic can happen! The only thing you have to do is to believe!

Nikoli Elena

Arsakeio Lykeio of Thessaloniki, Anna Oikonomou and Panagiota Economou

A beautiful day was starting for Susan, who was ready to pick her friends up in her car and go on a vacation. So, she woke up happily, she dressed, she packed her stuff and set off. I should say that all girls who have a very beautiful and attractive appearance were going to spend the whole weekend in a place by the sea. But, suddenly, while Susan was driving and her friends were singing, another car ran into them. As a result, their care was totally destroyed. They were transferred to the nearest hospital and doctors did everything they could to save her. The next day, when Susan woke up in the hospital, she realized hat her friends were in good health, but she had a bad feeling for herself. She looked in the mirror and was shocked because her face was disfigured. She understood at that moment that this effect would be changing her life forever. But, Susan wasn’t a weak person and she didn’t give up easily. So, she tried not tot be sad and she wanted from other people not to be sorry for her. And she managed to do that and that was the source of her strength. She became lovable to the people around her, who were looking only at her inside beauty and didn’t care about her appearance. Susan got married and she is now living with her two lovely children in Hawaii, being on vacation all time.

Ioannides Andrew

Arsakeio Lykeio of Thessaloniki, Anna Oikonomou and Panagiota Economou

Where should I begin the poem from? What can I say for you? I feel more sensitive as always. How can I survive without you? A moment, a love, a kiss on fire. This is our love. The shock of my life. Sometimes I swear that I miss you so much! But, nothing changes this situation. I remember you. I remember the mirror you looked for and I want to smash it. But, sometimes I see your eyes in it and I regret that. I have an opportunity. I’ll let it go and you will let me go, too. But, you know, my love is unique. My heart is red and I’ve hopes for you, for us. My empty soul was disfigured by the fake love I got from all the others. But, you came with your lovable eyes and your blond hair which was burning like flames. All of a sudden my soul was deliberated. But, your appearance was the least you had because the true beauty was lying deep inside your heart. Nikoliou Anastasia Arsakeio Lykeio of Thessaloniki, Anna Oikonomou and Panagiota Economou

Arsakeio Lykeio of Thessaloniki, Anna Oikonomou and Panagiota Economou

When I see myself in the mirror, I know that I am not very good-‐looking, but I believe that I am not that ugly, either. So, I know that I have a lot of time to change myself or my appearance. But, we shouldn’t forget that I was only a teenager. When I was 13 years old and I see myself in the mirror, I’ll be shocked because my face will be pimply. Suddenly, my face got disfigured and all that time I was feeling down because I believed that I would lose my friends. So, one day I told my mum that I had to something to change my appearance. Then, my mum said that I should visit a beautician. That’s what happened. I believe that I am very good-‐looking now, even though I can always try to get better.

Haralabous Giannis

Arsakeio Lykeio of Thessaloniki, Anna Oikonomou and Panagiota Economou

I will tell you an amazing story that will make you happy. There is something special and enjoyable about this story. It includes the beauty we see in others, not only on their faces, but in their characters and spirit, too. A lovable boy fell in love with a girl. But, this girl had a disfigured face. Many people thought she wasn’t pretty, but it wasn’t true. You cannot see real beauty

others

you

just

look

the

characteristics of their face only. You should look deeper into their character and heart. What I have to say is that it doesn’t matter if you have an appearance problem, because what really matters is your inside beauty. At first, when the boy opened up to the girl, she didn’t want him because she was in shock. But, when she looked at the real him and his inner beauty she fell in love with him and ever since then they have been living happily together.

Droudakis George

Arsakeio Lykeio of Thessaloniki, Anna Oikonomou and Panagiota Economou

What you see with the eyes of your heart Sometimes, eyes disfigure the beauty of our soul Sometimes, we don’t know how, But we don’t see inside beauty in others. We stay in what we see with the eyes And unfortunately not in what we see With the eyes of our heart. If you try to see with your heart just for a moment, Maybe you will get a shock by what you see. I promise you, you’ll see a big change of a human soul, No matter what you had seen before. Mirrors don’t necessarily show the truth. No need for someone to have the perfect appearance, to be lovable! Everything has a beauty of some kind, but not everyone can see it …

Skorda Thalia Arsakeio Lykeio of Thessaloniki, Anna Oikonomou and Panagiota Economou

Arsakeio Lykeio of Thessaloniki, Anna Oikonomou and Panagiota Economou

When you see yourself in a mirror, you see a girl. When

see

you,

see

butterflies

inside

stomach. I love! I love your lovable and cute face. I love your golden hair, which looks like flames in my pure eyes. But your beauty is the least you have, baby! Because you are the only one who can change my attitude and behavior even if it is the worst in the world. Just in a moment, you can take everything I hate, everything I fear; only with your smile. Your appearance was stolen by the angels. Every time I see you, a shock blooms in my heart like an earthquake. I was

a lonely

boy with a sensible mind, with an empty heart. Like an unarmed soldier, like a fallen wall, with a life without meaning. But you came and you disfigured my soul. You gave me a meaning. And that’s why I LOVE YOU!! And after what we shared, suddenly, you left me alone here. My love, please, come back before I die. Because there is no LIFE without you.

Tzevelekis Steve

Arsakeio Lykeio of Thessaloniki, Anna Oikonomou and Panagiota Economou

When I was a little girl, my mum told me short story I would never forget. The story is about a very beautiful girl who was a ballet dancer. She had lots of friends. She was lovable. Her name was Sophie. On her 16th birthday she had a party, which was a present from her parents. The next day, Sophie had a high fever and she got very ill. Her parents were very worried and they took her to the doctor. The doctor couldn’t give a diagnosis of her condition. Suddenly, they understood. The girl had cancer. Sophie started chemotherapy. Her hair fell off. She then had a face disfigurement. Her external appearance changed and so did her life. Her friends disappeared … One month later, Sophie was on her way to a new hospital. She was in her parents’ car and she was thinking about beauty. She looked at her face in the little mirror and she told herself: “My face has changed, but inside I’m the same person.” At that moment, her father who was driving the car, lost control of the wheel. Sophie screamed, but her father could not regain the control of the car. Finally, they crashed into the wall and they all got killed. But, Sophie’s friends understood they had made a mistake by deserting her. Gallou Konstantina Arsakeio Lykeio of Thessaloniki, Anna Oikonomou and Panagiota Economou

Arsakeio Lykeio of Thessaloniki, Anna Oikonomou and Panagiota Economou

I had arranged an important dinner in a luxurious Italian restaurant with a really beautiful woman who I had never seen before in my life. So, by the moment I arranged it, I started getting ready for it. I bought an expensive suit that was lovable on me and I went in front of the mirror to take care of my appearance. Suddenly, I realized that there was a disfigurement on my face. I was shocked when I realized there was a pimple on my left cheek. I tried to change it by putting make-up on it, but it still was there. So I had no choice…. I had to go to dinner with that pimple on my face. When I met the woman at dinner, she told me that I was really handsome. Suddenly, something changed inside me. I was so happy that I forgot all about my pimple. So, I grabbed her around her waist and kissed her, She whispered: “What are you doing?” and I said to her “ Let’s stop time and enjoy this moment.” Dimitris Tsiotras

Arsakeio Lykeio of Thessaloniki, Anna Oikonomou and Panagiota Economou

Once there was a teenager, coming from a very wealthy family. He lived in a huge house, full of servants ready to fulfill all his wishes. This kid wore very trendy clothes and hung out with the ‘elite’ of teens of its town. But that kid, living in such luxury, had created a negative approach to anything that it regarded as lesser. It pranked the weaker, bullied the smaller, hit the ones pleading for a single penny… One of its hobbies was playing golf with other ‘elite’ teens. The course was ten miles from the mansion, so it had to be driven there. This happened every day from 6 p.m. until 11 p.m. One day he was returning from a relatively successful course having beaten every other competitor. Sitting in the back seat with a friend, they were teasing each other for winning and losing respectively. They were both sitting in an awkward position, without seatbelts. Suddenly a drunk driver hit their car. Their car got out of its course and started rolling, bursting the next moment into flames. The driver got out, but the teen and his friend were trapped inside, thanks to their awkward sitting position. After a wile the teen got out from a broken window. His body suffered from high degree of burns and his left shoulder was dislocated. After being taken to the hospital and spending many days in and out of surgery, he finally found out two things, both in shock. Number one: his friend was dead. Number two: after facing a mirror looking at his wounds and disfigurements it was sure that he should rethink of what and what not can be regarded as lovable. What he saw was a huge change in his appearance having lost both his ears, nose and hair. The message then came to his mind. What he once loathed, was now he, himself… That teen today doesn’t exist. He has disappeared from the known world having been forgotten by everybody. Even myself, as I am writing about it, think that the very second after I press the save button, will never ever consider of what happened to my hero. So goodnight and remember: DRINK RESPONSIBLY OR YOU MIGHT HIT A VERY EXPENSIVE AND BEAUTIFUL CAR. Kostis Papadopoulos Arsakeio Lykeio of Thessaloniki, Anna Oikonomou and Panagiota Economou

Arsakeio Lykeio of Thessaloniki, Anna Oikonomou and Panagiota Economou

Mirror, mirror on the wall, I stare at myself with shock. Where is all the beauty I once had, when I was truly alive, when I was young? Where has my beautiful long neck on my strong body and my fleshy lips gone? All the things that made me lovable to my late husband are left in the past far beyond. The moments I cherish now are wandering inside me and the changes life brought onto me suddenly surprised me. I see them, they are all right in front of me, with the disfigurement, the decay time has caused me. I am looking at a stranger now, a moving picture across my standing body and I am asking myself if besides appearance, what’s left inside me has also changed, like everybody. Mirror, mirror on the wall, please turn to a time machine. I wish I could reach back through the past when you weren’t so mean to me.

Konstantina Abba-Decka

Arsakeio Lykeio of Thessaloniki, Anna Oikonomou and Panagiota Economou

I have many friends, but one of them is really special to me. Her name is Judy. Judy was the most beautiful girl I had ever seen. She was cheerful, generous and very kind to everyone. One night Judy and I went to a party. We spent many hours there, as we were having a great time. I offered to give her a lift to her home. So I drove off for her home. I was a bit drunk and suddenly we crashed I managed to get out of the car, but there was a fire and Judy couldn't make it. I called for help and we took her out of the car. I called an ambulance and together we took her to hospital. She was in a very bad condition and she had many operations. When the doctor allowed me to get inside her room I was shocked. She was disfigured and her appearance had changed. When she realized what had happened, she got in front of the mirror and started to cry. I was terribly sorry for her, as her whole life had changed in a moment. After that day, she had many surgeries and she will have many more. She is adorable and lovable for me and I try to remind her that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. John Efthymiou

Arsakeio Lykeio of Thessaloniki, Anna Oikonomou and Panagiota Economou Â

Arsakeio Lykeio of Thessaloniki, Anna Oikonomou and Panagiota Economou

There are some little things in our life that may change our view on certain issues. About a month ago, something happened to me, which helped me become a better person. I was at a cafĂŠ with some friends chatting, listening to music and having fun. But suddenly, a song drew my attention. The song was referring to love and how subjective beauty is. The lyrics that pleasantly shocked me were "there isn't ugliness in our world, just eyes that can't see the beauty". Since that moment I started thinking and seeing the world differently. I realized that each one of us, when sitting in front of the mirror should see the positive marks of his appearance and character. We should believe in ourselves because colours, disfigurement and any other characteristics don't make who we are. What counts is who we really are inside us. Only then will all of us realize how lovable can anyone be. Akis Ganatsas

Arsakeio Lykeio of Thessaloniki, Anna Oikonomou and Panagiota Economou Â

Arsakeio Lykeio of Thessaloniki, Anna Oikonomou and Panagiota Economou

It was late in the afternoon, when Maria, watching television, heard about Anastasia’s incident… Anastasia was a fifteen-year-old girl who had a normal life, when one day suddenly a fire broke out in her house. When she realized the situation, it was already too late. She was trapped and after some time unconscious due to the fire’s gases. But, thanks to, the firemen she managed to survive, but she would never be the same again. The disfigurement of her body was to such an extent that it couldn’t be repaired. Maria was shocked about the news because she knew this girl. They went to the same school and lived in the same neighbourhood and sometimes, in the past, they talked. So she decided to go and visit her at the hospital. When she entered Anastasia’s room, there was a moment of shock. Anastasia’s beautiful face had been replaced by an ugly face, which had no connection with Anastasia’s original face, and her appearance was totally changed. After that long moment, she sat and talked with Anastasia. She was just like she remembered her to be… funny… kind… the lovable person she remembered. When she returned home, Maria looked at herself in the mirror. It was the first time that she appreciated her beauty. But she didn’t realize only that; she realized that her beautiful self was nothing compared to Anastasia’s. This girl had shown such great courage to accept her disfigurement and such strength not to let it change her character that Maria felt so “tiny” compared to her. She realized that the real beauty was inside Anastasia and not in her. Helen Avdimioti Arsakeio Lykeio of Thessaloniki, Anna Oikonomou and Panagiota Economou

Arsakeio Lykeio of Thessaloniki, Anna Oikonomou and Panagiota Economou

The beautiful person I used to be suddenly transformed into a disfigured me. I used to admire in the mirror my lovable appearance, but at this moment I am really shocked. Everything outside me may have changed but inside I am all of the same. Chris Kazantzis Arsakeio Lykeio of Thessaloniki, Anna Oikonomou and Panagiota Economou Â

Arsakeio Lykeio of Thessaloniki, Anna Oikonomou and Panagiota Economou

According to the saying "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder", beauty is something that you see and excites your mind and your heart. Suddenly you want to spend more time next to it receiving some of its glory. Susan doesn't feel this way. No one ever believes that she ever had any beauty hidden in her. She never had anyone around her to talk to and share thing with, nor anyone to take care of her, even now that she needs it most. It has been two years since her life utterly changed in just a moment. Two years ago, she was driving in a big highway, totally sober but quite inexperienced as a driver, since she was only 17 when the accident happened. Fortunately, she was all-alone in the car, so nobody else got injured. She was on the road driving home from a party, a little bit faster than she should have. She suddenly lost control of her car, got out of the road and hit on a tree. Her car was on fire and she was trapped in it. Damage had already been done when finally help came. Now, two years after that shocking moment, she is disfigured with lots of operations in her medical history and more than it needs to be done. She used to be such a lovable girl and everybody wanted to be around her until the accident happened. After that everybody abandoned her. Every time she looks at herself in the mirror, she sees no beauty neither in her appearance nor in her personality and character. And the truth is that nobody else sees any beauty at all in her. That accident totally destroyed her life.

Elli-Maria Koutropoulou

Arsakeio Lykeio of Thessaloniki, Anna Oikonomou and Panagiota Economou Â

Arsakeio Lykeio of Thessaloniki, Anna Oikonomou and Panagiota Economou

That sad moment was inevitable and deep inside it was never lovable. But suddenly you knew something had changed. it was the feeling that your beauty raged, the shock that you realized what mirrors yourself is not the appearance itself, even if you were like an ugly elf. So, what an obstacle used to be is now nothing more than a funny memory.

Chris Moisidis

Arsakeio Lykeio of Thessaloniki, Anna Oikonomou and Panagiota Economou Â

Arsakeio Lykeio of Thessaloniki, Anna Oikonomou and Panagiota Economou

Once upon a time, there was a teenager who lived in a small town in England. Her name was Emily. She was a tall girl, with long blonde hair and blue eyes. She was social and everybody loved her so much. But unfortunately, life played a bad game on her. While she was walking down the street late at night, suddenly a man attacked her. He threw some dangerous and burning acid on her face, he took her handbag and ran away. All her life changed completely in just a moment. The ambulance found her unconscious and took her to hospital. When she woke up she was in a state of shock. When she tried to touch her face, the doctor told her not to do so. A couple of hours later, her doctor announced that her face was disfigured and they couldn't fix it. Then the girl ran to the mirror and looked at herself. She couldn't believe that her beauty was gone forever and she started crying. When her parents and all her friends came to visit her, they emphasized that she didn't need physical beauty because she was much more beautiful and lovable in the inside. On the aftermath she realized that external appearance doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t play any role in her relationship with her family and friends, because in both cases they love her for her personality and not for her beauty. In the end, the burglar was busted and sent to prison for the rest of his life, and three months later the girl returned home and turned over a new leaf. Ifigeneia Zygoura

Arsakeio Lykeio of Thessaloniki, Anna Oikonomou and Panagiota Economou Â

Arsakeio Lykeio of Thessaloniki, Anna Oikonomou and Panagiota Economou

Mirror, Mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all, behind this beauty that you see something appears suddenly. Mirror, Mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all, there is a change that will be to disfigure the whole of she. In a moment she will be shocked and will turn the inside out her lovable looks will burn to ground and then she dies behind the sound.

Dimitris Zagorianos

Arsakeio Lykeio of Thessaloniki, Anna Oikonomou and Panagiota Economou Â

Arsakeio Lykeio of Thessaloniki, Anna Oikonomou and Panagiota Economou

“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder”. This is a belief that many people support. To my mind, beauty is something indefinable and subjective, which does not only reflect the appearance but also the inside world of a person. William Dorothy is a prime example that illustrates this opinion. Dorothy was a 21-year-old student in college. As it is well-known, colleges organize remarkable parties which attract many students. So, Dorothy went to one of these parties with her friends. After consuming a huge amount of alcohol she got very drunk. Without considering the possible consequences, she decided to drive. Due to the fact that she was drunk and very dizzy, she suddenly lost control of the car and hit on a tree near the road, as she admitted in an interview after the crash. For a moment, everything blacked out. “I didn’t know if I was dead or alive”. The car was set on fire. Dorothy was unable to react, as she was unconscious. Thankfully, two men stopped immediately after seeing the crash and they managed to drag her out of the car just before he got completely burnt. “The next thing I remember is being in hospital. I felt really weak. I asked my nurses to help me go to the bathroom, but they seemed hesitant. I knew something was wrong. I rushed to the bathroom and looked myself in the mirror. What a shock! I had severe burns on my cheeks and forehead. I couldn’t believe it!” Dorothy admitted. After this incident, Dorothy never completely recovered from her burns, so she had to see some psychiatrists in order to alleviate her soul scars. “The psychiatrists helped me a lot to recover. However, my family supported me a great deal and helped me by keep telling me that I was still lovable despite my disfigurement.” My family’s psychological boost contributed to my feeling normal again. If it hadn’t been for my parents, I would have been irrevocably stigmatized from this terrible accident.” This story shows us that changes are not always as terrible as we consider then to be. Our lives remain the same no matter what happens to us. It is our choice to ignore them and keep leading a normal life. As an old adage says “Life is a blessing, so live everyday as if it is your last one, no matter what kind of obstacles it holds for you.”

Pericles Faliagkas

Arsakeio Lykeio of Thessaloniki, Anna Oikonomou and Panagiota Economou

It is an undeniable fact that most of us judge other people by their external appearance and only few of us actually want to learn about their real personality. Though this is absolutely wrong, due to the fact that external beauty is temporary in contrast to internal beauty, which is permanent. This results in trying to create a lovable external appearance, especially from teenagers, who spend hours in front of the mirror trying to make the right changes to their hair and choose the right clothes that will perfectly match with their hairstyle. Yet, a moment is enough to change their external beauty forever. An unexpected accident may have shocking results to their life. The best situation is not having been hurt at all, whereas the worst situation, which could happen to anyone, is to suffer from disfigurement. After that, their life suddenly changes completely and they now belong to that group of people they were previously rejecting. To sum up, it is not necessary to wait for something bad to happen to you in order to realize other people's feelings. Thomas Papazoglou Arsakeio Lykeio of Thessaloniki, Anna Oikonomou and Panagiota Economou

Arsakeio Lykeio of Thessaloniki, Anna Oikonomou and Panagiota Economou

“Mirror, Mirror on the wall, who is the ugliest of them all?” “It’s you”… The mirror, the magical mirror that was hanging above the lamp just broke the heart of the young lady. Not that she didn’t expect it. She believed that she was ugly, but she did not anticipate to be the ugliest woman in the world… This is the story of a young woman named Pelikana. Her external appearance was dramatic. She looked like an one-eyed donkey with a moustache. She lived in a house in the middle of nowhere, with green trees and blue birds as her friends. Though ugly she looked, her internal beauty was unimaginable. She took care of everything, of every living creature around her and they loved her too. She had no other friends due to an accident that was buried inside her heart. Pelikana was at first a normal baby, just like every other baby. Suddenly her whole life changed. It only took her a few seconds, a few moments of carelessness to stigmatize her. She was left unattended at home, when her parents died in a horrific accident. When the doctors announced it to her, she was so deeply shocked that she ran into the forest and screamed and yelled like a rebel who attacks police officers. The animals were disturbed and attacked her leaving her unconscious with so much blood running from her face. Luckily she was found fast by a local farmer and was admitted to the nearest hospital, where the doctors saved her life, but couldn’t save her beauty. A huge scar was left on her face, which looked like one of nature’s disfigurements. This is how Pelikana was turned from a lovable young girl into an ugly lady. However, she had to go to the city to buy some stuff to eat, as she couldn’t make a living alone in the forest. Racism was so sever and devastating one day that she burst into tears and ran to hide away from everyone. A passenger forced her to stop and made her say why she was crying. She told him why and he said to her that she had a really beautiful character. These were His last words: “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” She smiled and went on with her life. Thanassis Paspaltzis

Arsakeio Lykeio of Thessaloniki, Anna Oikonomou and Panagiota Economou

Once upon a time there was a beautiful girl. She was so beautiful that all the boys were in love with her. Then, there comes a low-‐profile boy who wasn't really beautiful or popular, but he was also in love with the girl, not only because of her pretty looks. He also wanted to know about her inner world, her fears, and her desires. But because of his low profile, the girl never gave him a chance to express his feelings. And suddenly, a car accident happened. The lovable girl woke up in a hospital. She was shocked but still alive. But the moment she looked at herself in the mirror, she realized that she wasn't the same anymore. The aftermath of her accident was a small disfigurement on her face. It wasn't something crucial, but for boys that was enough to be disgusted. She lost all of her previous attention. Nobody talked to her anymore because she wasn't the beautiful girl she used to be, she wasn't a trophy anymore. Only the boy was still in love with her. For him, a small disfigurement wasn't able to change her inside. She realized that he was the only one who truly loved her. So, the boy took the chance he always longed for and the have ended up together. Konstantinos Avgeridis

Arsakeio Lykeio of Thessaloniki, Anna Oikonomou and Panagiota Economou

We all have this Moment, Arsakeio Lykeio of Thessaloniki, Anna Oikonomou and Panagiota Economou Â

Suddenly; All we need is a chance... Or a change When the mirror turns into an enemy, Beauty and ugliness are relevant And what matters is the appearance True or false? And then reality comes as a shock That lovable face change For good and not for worse Beauty is something you cannot count. When Beauty is inside, Is outside too. Mirror smiles with the sound of those words Thinking " I'll now be your friend for even more" That disfigurement is hard for a little girl But her eyes are shinning And her appearance talks. Daphne Argyraki

Arsakeio Lykeio of Thessaloniki, Anna Oikonomou and Panagiota Economou Â

Arsakeio Lykeio of Thessaloniki, Anna Oikonomou and Panagiota Economou

Jim lives in Cremona, Italy. He is married to Francesca. They have three children. Jim studied music in Vienna when he was young, more specifically, the clarinet and composition. He had a great future. But suddenly everything changed. He had an accident with his motorbike. They had to cut off his right leg. His face was also disfigured. His future seemed to have been lost in a moment. Could he ever feel comfortable to perform for a large audience in this state? Appearances, though are deceptive, as it seems! He started composing some jazz pieces, which instantly became well-known. He was invited to music seminars to lecture about alternative ways of self-expression in music and to give clarinet master classes. In one of these seminars, he met Francesca. They fell in love and got married.

“How did you get over the fact that you are committing your life to helping a man in need?”, “people always ask me”, says Francesca.

“Well, the disfigured face and the missing leg may come as a shock to most of people, but I assure you, the beauty is inside, in his character, in the music he writes. I couldn’t have wished for a better husband! It does not matter what you see in the mirror. He is a lovable man.”

George Sotiroudis

Arsakeio Lykeio of Thessaloniki, Anna Oikonomou and Panagiota Economou

Once upon a time, there was a young lovable girl, full of dreams about getting into college. And finally the time had come for her to start her studies and begin making her dreams come true. She took a quick look at her mirror and rushed out of her house. On the road, she was listening to music trying to calm herself. But suddenly, a car having gone out of control, hit her in the middle of the road. She hadn't heard the car horning. It just took a moment, but it was enough to damage her permanently. In hospital she took a look at herself in the mirror. It was a great shock, her appearance was a lot different than before. An irreparable disfigurement of her face would accompany her for the rest of her life. Depressed and shocked, she repeatedly kept asking herself "why has her life ended?" After a week, in her room there came a blind young boy who was hospitalized for a surgery to recover from his sight problem. Once they started talking, they couldn't stop. It seemed as if they had known each other for years, even though they had just met. She talked to him about what had happened to her, how her life had changed. But he didn't care about her external appearance. "All that matters is the inside", he said. "The most beautiful people might have the most evil hearts". The surgery was finally done and it was completely successful. He opened his eyes and he looked at her. 'You are beautiful" he said. And they lived happily ever after. Ventziou Polina

Arsakeio Lykeio of Thessaloniki, Anna Oikonomou and Panagiota Economou

In a big castle in the middle of the woods, there was living Blood Red, a beautiful little girl with dark hair, shiny red lips and pale skin. She was living with the witch of the castle and she was working as a cleaner in the castle, but she was doing all kind of jobs, such as feeding the animals, preparing meals and so many more. The witch was known for her beauty overseas and she had a magic mirror in her room. One day she asked it: "Mirror, mirror on the wall, who's the of them all?" then her mirror answered, "There is another beauty apart from you living in our castle and her name is Blood Red, she's lovable with great appearance. She's very kind and good-hearted." At that moment the witch was shocked and she wanted to change all that in order to be again the most beautiful woman. The mirror got really mad and couldn't tolerate her actions anymore, so with a spell he disfigured the witch's face. Suddenly, her whole life changed. No matter how many spells she tried to cast, she couldn't bring her face back to its previous state, she kept failing. She was filled with anger and despair and finally broke the mirror with a sledgehammer. After that, she stayed inside her castle for the rest of her life in order to hide her ugliness along with her sins.

John Antoniadis

Arsakeio Lykeio of Thessaloniki, Anna Oikonomou and Panagiota Economou Â

Arsakeio Lykeio of Thessaloniki, Anna Oikonomou and Panagiota Economou

The meaning of beauty is something totally subjective. We see beauty in people we love or admire, not in their appearance and their external features. Beauty is on the inside of every person. It may have taken me some time until I realized that, but now I know that a beautiful person is not a pretty face in the mirror. I have had a friend since I was 7 years old. She was the prettiest girl I had ever seen. We were always together, we were like sisters. I loved her so much. When we grew up, we went to High school together and we were still best friends. Two years ago, while we were having a chemistry class, something terrible happened, something that made me change everything I used to believe until that moment. We were divided into groups and every group had to conduct a different experiment and present it to the whole of the class. After some presentations, it was my best friend's group turn to present their work. I could see that she was a bit nervous, since she never liked Chemistry and she didn't also get on well with the guys of her team. The experiment started when suddenly on of the boys pushed the test tube, which contained HCL (a really strong acid), the tube broke and the acid was all over my friend's face. I was utterly shocked, I could hear her screaming and shouting because her face was getting burnt from the acid. She was immediately taken to hospital where she was treated. After some hours I visited her at the hospital, I knew what I would see and I really tried to be strong and not cry. I went in and I saw her disfigured face. The acid had burnt her face, not all of it, but some parts were burnt. I was shocked even though I knew what had happened. I didn't show my panic and I sat next to her. I visited her everyday until she left the hospital and then I visited her at her home. After this incident, I realized that even if the most beautiful girl I had ever met was not like that anymore, she was still awesome. I have never left her side; I am always next to her. She is a lovable person, a person I will never stop loving. So this accident could never make me love her less or admire her less. She is still the most beautiful person with the strongest personality.

Sofia kazantzi

Arsakeio Lykeio of Thessaloniki, Anna Oikonomou and Panagiota Economou Â

Arsakeio Lykeio of Thessaloniki, Anna Oikonomou and Panagiota Economou

“For oft the foul [...] is fair in the eyes of love”

«ἦ γὰρ ἔρωτι πολλάάκις, [...] τὰ µμὴ καλὰ καλὰ πέέφανται» Θεόκριτος (Ειδύλλιο vi 18)

Arsakeio Lykeio of Thessaloniki, Anna Oikonomou and Panagiota Economou