Thursday, October 1, 2015

The Importance of Diversity



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

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