Friday, January 16, 2009

The Way I See It # 21

One of my favorite things to do is to hear other people’s views on things…no matter the topic. I can’t even think of a topic I would consider taboo either. Why? One small reason is that there are more than six billion people alive right now. That means there is a multitude of stuff out there I will never be able to experience, let alone come close to fully understand. Cultures, foods, customs, beliefs, etc. The best way for me to even attempt to understand it all is by talking to people who aren’t like me. And yes, even those who are like me.

To me, our differences are what make us who we are. Individuals. Unique individuals. What we believe in, what we stand for, our political persuasion, religious preference, gender preference, where we live, where we come from, the whole enchilada. Some people view certain topics as taboo, when they shouldn’t be. Because when you really think about it, open discourse with people who aren’t like you is pretty much the only way to ever know how to communicate with people who, well, aren’t like you…it’s not rocket science. How boring would the world be if it were full of six billion clones of you…or me! Despite all of our differences, we are all human. It blows my mind that people ever thought—and that people still do think—that one race, gender, nationality, denomination, anything, somehow makes them “better” than someone else.

As I was sitting at Starbucks tonight (I know, I know…I had a gift card) talking with a good friend about a multitude of topics I won’t even begin to list here, some of which we agreed on and some of which we did not, I happened to look down at my cup and read the lovely black letters that adorned my hot and tasty vanilla latte. A simple quote from some musician I had never heard of, Youssou N’Dour. And yes, it was what inspired me to actually post this lovely update on my blog. It was, in my opinion, (a) by far my favorite quote from the “The Way I See It” campaign at Starbucks, and (b) something we should all acknowledge and think about.

The Way I See It # 21
“People need to see that, far from being an obstacle, the world’s diversity of languages, religions and traditions is a great treasure, affording us precious opportunities to recognize ourselves in others.” –Youssou N’Dour, musician.


Agree with it or disagree with it, but at least think about it. If we didn’t all have a passion for something different, something new, something undiscovered, there would be no such things as the Travel Channel for instance, or vacations at all. As humans, we have an intrinsic need for interaction with others. We are programmed to interact, not to ignore what is around us.

We can all think of that person who just got back from a trip or new adventure and wants to show everyone the hundreds of pictures they took, to show them what they experienced, what they saw and did. Be it the “oohs and ahhs” that normally follow the pictures of places you’ve never been, or the piqued curiosity of watching others eat “gross foods” in foreign countries, our fascination with different things is there. Embrace it once and a while.

So, with all that said, why not go and learn about something different? Pick a specific person, culture, denomination, country, language, religion, gender, anything. See if you can relate something about it to yourself. You might be surprised that it’s not so hard to do after all.