NOLA: Outside my Comfort Zone

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.