It’s easy to fall into “us or them,” “same or different,” “right or wrong,” “strange or familiar.” We typically do this when we view the world from inside our own comfort zone or fishbowl so to speak. The things we take for granted as the way it is, or the things that we do that are second nature to us feel like the whole world. That is . . . .until you actually go out into the world and find that everybody else is doing the same thing! So who is correct? Who is right?
The great news is – we are all more the same than we are different. It’s important to know this – to experience this for yourself. You don’t have to travel to some far off exotic land to be exposed to our sameness from a different lens. Honestly, you can probably find it by quietly and purposefully observing other riders on your bus, or by going to a park on the other side of town you have never been to. And yes of course, it will smack you in the face if you do travel to a foreign country to see how things are done elsewhere. As long as you can really observe how the mundane and the ritualistic and the celebratory things are done and why with an open mind and with curiosity, it will be education enough. It will really change your perspective.