Diversity

I was struck on my way into work this morning with a sad longing for a dear friend with whom I have not had contact in a long time.  You would probably think it odd that I consider this individual a dear friend; after all, he is unable to really engage in human interaction in a way that most would consider tangible.  And yet he is probably one of the most influential people in my life.  This dear man is a bit older than I am though his delays make him seem younger in so many ways.  Still, I grew up with him, and he taught me so much about people.  He has a huge smile that lights up a room and he loves music probably more than I do.

He was one of several people in my life that have had an impact in the background that I only now realize they even had.  I never really thought of his disabilities.  I knew he was different.  I knew he was wheelchair bound and could not talk, and yet that never seemed to factor into the way I looked at him.  He was just him.  He was special because he existed not because he was special needs.  And then there were two sweet older ladies that loved on me and helped form a lot of my early impressions of who God is, and apparently who people are.  It seriously was only today that I even considered the fact that these two ladies and I were not of the same race.  I know, that probably sounds odd.  I can't explain it really.  I just don't, honestly, remember ever really remarking on that fact.  It wasn't that I didn't realize there were differences between us and I could probably tell you some cultural differences.  It just didn't matter to me.  They were sweet ladies who loved me just as my dear friend was a friend even though we've never had a conversation.

This all got me thinking.  How do you teach diversity?  We have all sorts of "cultural competency" courses at work we can take.  They're interesting.  I enjoy them.  But then I enjoy pretty much anything where I get to learn something.  So don't use me as your measure on that part.  What I'm not sure of is whether they really teach anything related to diversity.

I grew up in a small town.  Diversity was definitely not something that we experienced.  So how then did it come so naturally to adjust to college life (the first time around) and the myriad cultures around me?  I don't know.  I assume it probably had something to do with the experiences I had as a kid.  I understood adoption, disabilities, and different races from a young age without ever realizing that was happening.  I witnessed abuse and neglect.  I saw behavioral problems.  I came from a background that was filled with little tidbits, opportunities to learn.

My parents never sat me down and said, "This is a way you can learn about other races, religions, or social backgrounds." They taught me an awful lot but there were few times I actually remember them saying, "Now, let's learn about ____." Somehow they let the world around me be a learning experience while also keeping me safe.  A lot of my peers in high school thought I would go off and be a party girl who flipped out over the new cultures I would experience in college.  They thought I was sheltered.  Clearly, I wasn't.  But how did my amazing parents manage that balance?  Who knows? Like I said, they are amazing.

I look back over a short lifetime of awesome opportunities to interact with a lot of different people and I think, "WOW!" It's been an amazing, beautiful journey so far.  The people that I have loved and been loved by have taught me so much and left little bits of themselves behind.  The worst of my human interactions is not something I can bring myself to regret.  For even the hardest of times have taught me valuable lessons that I will take with me into my next phase of life.  They have made me more empathetic toward the clientele I now serve, and I know the children and families I now serve will leave a lasting impact that will somehow pave the way in whatever I do with my life.

I think that's the beautiful thing about moving on.  None of what I have experienced has been for naught. I have learned so much and I have so much more growing to do.  I so look forward to the next step in my life, not because I long to get away from where I am at now but because I have no idea what all is in store.  And if my journey so far has been so awesome, how can the rest of it be any less exciting?