This post was written September 16th but
due to a super busy schedule lately, I did not get around to editing/posting it
until just now. Just know that the week’s events refer to the week of 9/13/15...
Carry on.
Recent events in my life and in the world
around us have me thinking about people.
Specifically, what drives people and how they come to form the different
points of view that shape us all. I feel that diversity is such an important
aspect of life but more on that later… Let’s get to the background for this
post.
Last
week, one of my nephews experienced racial prejudice directed toward him that,
understandably, made him very upset. The what, the how and the why is not what
is important here. What is important is that he felt discriminated against and
made to feel a certain way that was unwarranted. We talked about it and while
he seemed to be fine with letting the issue roll off his back and let it go,
for some reason the incident has stuck with me even a week later.
In
other news, a high school freshman a smooth one state away from my home was
arrested for bringing a homemade clock to school to show his teachers. The kid,
whose hobbies included various aspects of engineering, of course, was excited
to bring this invention to school only to be accused of making a hoax bomb and
being arrested and questioned by the police WITHOUT the presence of his
parents.
In
case you’re unsure of where I’m going with this, I am wanting to express the
importance of diversity to show that a lack of it can be detrimental to our
world view and it can negatively affect the lives of those around us.
And
when I say diversity, I mean in all aspects of life. For example, my husband
and I are trying to make it a point to visit as many states within the country
as we can as well as travel to other countries to experience other cultures. I
think that the act of going to a foreign land and appreciating the beauty in
the differences in culture held around the world has helped to positively shape
my world view. It strengthens the resolve of oneness I feel is present
throughout the human race no matter the heritage but it also illuminates the
beauty in the uniqueness of coming in contact with someone who is not like you.
This can be achieved here in our own country, state, city, or town as well.
Just taking the time to get to know and form relationships with people who
differ from you can be so beneficial. It shows you that not everyone has to be
like you, look like you, talk like you, come from the same background as you
and it’s ok. It doesn’t make them any less human, any less intelligent, or any
less credible.
In the same
way, a friend of ours has put together this study group of her friends from
different groups that included us and a few others (and we are quickly becoming
fast friends to one another as well..) It is amazing to get perspective from
those who differ from me, it allows me to approach situations in ways that I
may not have even considered otherwise. I want to always continue to broaden my
relationships in order to never get complacent in one frame of thinking and I
would encourage others to do the same. There is always room for an evolution of
thought, within reason. I am not asking you to abandon your principles. I am
asking you to question them. How did you form them? What holds them together?
What could change your mind about them?
I think that an
open heart would never have felt as though they could make hurtful accusations
to a 15 year old kid and feel in any way justified in them. A cultured mind would
not feel that because a child is Muslim (I am assuming this was the major
factor in the teacher’s “fear”) that the homemade digital clock he is bringing
to school is in some way dangerous. Despite his lack of delinquent behavior and
his adamant pleading that it was indeed a homemade clock. Encouraging those around me to get out and see
the world, experience other cultures, build relationships with those who have
opposing views is the best remedy I can offer to a lack of understanding
diverse perspectives. What it all boils down to is the ability to see a
situation from someone else’s point of view. How can we expect to understand
our own perspective when we haven’t experienced anything of the world and
attempted to learn from those around us?
I would
encourage everyone to make an effort to get out of your comfort zone and
experience the world around you. Don’t be trapped in this bubble of sameness.
Go. Livc. Do. Trust me, you’ll be better for it.
XOXO,
Cass
