This class and service trip have pushed me outside my comfort zone many times in many different ways. Did my little dot on the map in NE Iowa expose me to diversity? Possibly, but certainly not to the extent of New Orleans. I really had to step back and analyze my thoughts during this trip because I went through so many conflicting thoughts and had so many novel experiences. My background certainly contributed to my lack of diversity experience, but my classmates also played a large role in my increased scrutiny of my thoughts and feelings. When someone with a completely different background says something that you think is just "off," the first reaction is to defend your point-of-view. While this may help the other person see where you are coming from, the real learning takes place when you listen to what they have to say. I know it sounds like I'm stealing a page out of Amanda's book, but these are the thoughts I've been having since we got back from NOLA.
I can definitely blame Smitty for some of my learning and discomfort, though blame implies a negative outcome. I can honestly say that conversing with Smitty is the thing I will take the most away from New Orleans. It's not that his philosophies were the same or different than mine, it's that he questioned EVERYTHING and opened up the mind to see the good, the bad, and the ugly on every issue. I kept thinking about connections to my other classes, especially RE 101, and how we have to put everything in perspective. (Sorry, I know it sounds like I'm stealing from Amanda again!) Smitty's background is vastly different than mine, and I have been doing some research on him to find out more about him. Although that search has been mostly unsuccessful thus far, it is safe to say that we are two very different people. But we were able to move past those differences and converse at a high-level about issues that we have in common. We all have differences, but we have even more commonalities.
I was able to open myself up to this wonderful group of people, be myself, and not worry about being judged. There were times when I had a difference of opinion with someone in the group, but we were able to acknowledge our differences and see the other person's point of view. I believe this open-mindedness formed friendships among the class, at least from my perspective. I can now see that I was a very judgmental person before this class, though I wouldn't have thought so before. My classmates, Smitty, and the entire NOLA experience have put things into perspective for me and allowed me to embrace diversity and differences. We don't have to be the same in order to appreciate one another. I definitely needed this experience right now, though I didn't know it before this trip. Quite frankly, I wasn't too thrilled with the idea of this trip back at the beginning of the semester (Jean Buckingham will tell you that). But I am now able to appreciate my experience and will continue to be more open-minded as I continue at Wartburg and when I am an educator. I learned how to treat people with respect and appreciate everyone's differences, and I thank everyone involved for helping me obtain this new level of awareness.
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Be selfless and care
Sometimes lessons take awhile to hit you. Sometimes a simple conversation teaches you more than you could have ever anticipated. It's been 2 days already since we've gotten back from our trip, and everything I took away from the trip is just now beginning to come together. I saw a cartoon about perspective the other day online (and now of course I can't find that same one) and it really got me thinking. Our class is about diversity and disasters. We've learned so much about different backgrounds, races, genders, socioeconomic statuses, and the list goes on. We also learned about Hurricane Katrina and will be learning about even more disasters throughout the rest of the semester. But I think it all can be summed up into one word. Perspective. You don't have to be in our class or learning about the things we are to be able to learn that the point is that we have to learn to understand and appreciate other people's perspectives. The point is that no one on this earth has exactly the same perspective as another person. We are all different. We have different backgrounds, different histories, different families, friends, experiences, morals, conversations, lessons, influences, etc. I think that one of the biggest problems in our world is that people don't appreciate others' perspectives. We're selfish and fear anything different from what we're used to and comfortable with. Closed and tucked away in our own little boxes.
(This is the one I couldn't find before- FINALLY stumbled upon it today)
This is the best example I could find so I'll do my best with it (even though I think it's pretty clear already).
Sometimes we all look at the same situation, problem, or occurrence and see completely different things. Some may see a duck, while others might see a rabbit. Are either of us wrong or right? No!! The problem isn't that we have differing view points; that's actually the beauty. The problem arises when we begin to judge others for having a differing view point. It's a problem when we stop appreciating the fact that other people can see something differently than how we see it. And it becomes an even bigger problem when we close ourselves off from that differing point of view. If I see a rabbit, and someone tells me they see a duck, and I tell them they're wrong and refuse to even just attempt to see it their way (whether we agree or not), then I'm shutting myself off from all kinds of relationships, beauty, and so many other good things. Sometimes it's scary at first to open yourself up to new viewpoints, ways of life, and possibilities. And sometimes even if you can allow yourself to accept those differences in others, you don't allow yourself to actually learn from those differences. When you can begin to challenge your own viewpoint and way of life you get the most out of it. That doesn't mean you have to immediately take on other people's perspectives simply because you can understand where they're coming from. It means that you can take those perspectives into consideration and decide if that is actually how you see it or not. But you always have to remember that diversity is a REALLY good thing- especially when you can appreciate it and nurture it.
I guess the point is- we don't have to agree with others in order to appreciate them. There should be joy and curiosity in finding out other's opinions rather than fear and disapproval. The beauty of our world is that we ARE all different. We just have to be able to learn to respect each other's differences, and sometimes accept that we may not know why they think the way they do, or what has shaped them to this point but that that doesn't matter. I don't necessarily have to know your past to appreciate your thinking or decisions.
I've also realized more and more that if we have differing viewpoints and have to work together, it's okay to compromise and allow yourself to take on someone else's opinion for awhile. That doesn't mean you have to agree with it or live by it, but it does mean that you can empathize with it (if that's the right word). You see a rabbit, I see a duck- it's okay (and valuable) for me to allow myself to see a rabbit for a little while in order for productive things to get done. Sometimes you have to swallow your pride, take one for the team, or allow yourself to not have the upper hand. You don't have to completely change your views in order to live someone else's for a little while. I guess it's about being selfless. Selfless and open.
Through my experiences on the trip and my conversations before, during, and especially after the trip, I have begun to fully understand diversity. It's not about people being different from each other in specific categories. The fact is that we're ALL different. Our pasts and backgrounds make us who we are. The real growth occurs when you can learn to care about and appreciate others whether you both see a duck, or you see a duck and they see a rabbit. Heck- maybe someone sees a clothespin. Who am I to tell them that they're wrong? We all could accomplish so much more if we just opened ourselves selves up to letting others have differing opinions.
In respect to the trip last week- I couldn't have asked for anything better. Were there points in the week that I hated or struggled through? Of course. Could I have done without some of the problems we faced? Absolutely. But how do you grow when things are easy? You learn and grow from experiencing adversity and diversity. And that is exactly what I did. I didn't just learn to respect and appreciate "diversity" but I learned even better to respect and appreciate everyone around me. I learned to be selfless and care. It's as simply, yet as complex, as that.
(This is the one I couldn't find before- FINALLY stumbled upon it today)
This is the best example I could find so I'll do my best with it (even though I think it's pretty clear already).
Sometimes we all look at the same situation, problem, or occurrence and see completely different things. Some may see a duck, while others might see a rabbit. Are either of us wrong or right? No!! The problem isn't that we have differing view points; that's actually the beauty. The problem arises when we begin to judge others for having a differing view point. It's a problem when we stop appreciating the fact that other people can see something differently than how we see it. And it becomes an even bigger problem when we close ourselves off from that differing point of view. If I see a rabbit, and someone tells me they see a duck, and I tell them they're wrong and refuse to even just attempt to see it their way (whether we agree or not), then I'm shutting myself off from all kinds of relationships, beauty, and so many other good things. Sometimes it's scary at first to open yourself up to new viewpoints, ways of life, and possibilities. And sometimes even if you can allow yourself to accept those differences in others, you don't allow yourself to actually learn from those differences. When you can begin to challenge your own viewpoint and way of life you get the most out of it. That doesn't mean you have to immediately take on other people's perspectives simply because you can understand where they're coming from. It means that you can take those perspectives into consideration and decide if that is actually how you see it or not. But you always have to remember that diversity is a REALLY good thing- especially when you can appreciate it and nurture it.
I guess the point is- we don't have to agree with others in order to appreciate them. There should be joy and curiosity in finding out other's opinions rather than fear and disapproval. The beauty of our world is that we ARE all different. We just have to be able to learn to respect each other's differences, and sometimes accept that we may not know why they think the way they do, or what has shaped them to this point but that that doesn't matter. I don't necessarily have to know your past to appreciate your thinking or decisions.
I've also realized more and more that if we have differing viewpoints and have to work together, it's okay to compromise and allow yourself to take on someone else's opinion for awhile. That doesn't mean you have to agree with it or live by it, but it does mean that you can empathize with it (if that's the right word). You see a rabbit, I see a duck- it's okay (and valuable) for me to allow myself to see a rabbit for a little while in order for productive things to get done. Sometimes you have to swallow your pride, take one for the team, or allow yourself to not have the upper hand. You don't have to completely change your views in order to live someone else's for a little while. I guess it's about being selfless. Selfless and open.
Through my experiences on the trip and my conversations before, during, and especially after the trip, I have begun to fully understand diversity. It's not about people being different from each other in specific categories. The fact is that we're ALL different. Our pasts and backgrounds make us who we are. The real growth occurs when you can learn to care about and appreciate others whether you both see a duck, or you see a duck and they see a rabbit. Heck- maybe someone sees a clothespin. Who am I to tell them that they're wrong? We all could accomplish so much more if we just opened ourselves selves up to letting others have differing opinions.
In respect to the trip last week- I couldn't have asked for anything better. Were there points in the week that I hated or struggled through? Of course. Could I have done without some of the problems we faced? Absolutely. But how do you grow when things are easy? You learn and grow from experiencing adversity and diversity. And that is exactly what I did. I didn't just learn to respect and appreciate "diversity" but I learned even better to respect and appreciate everyone around me. I learned to be selfless and care. It's as simply, yet as complex, as that.
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