Different?

So, I'm going to start off with a few quotes to kind of intitiate the topic for this post. I love these quotes, being half-Jamaican (at heart) and knowing what I know about all of God's children.

"Diversity is not about how we differ. Diversity is about embracing one another's uniqueness." - Ola Joseph

"The world in which you were born is just one model of reality. Other cultures are not failed attempts at being you; they are unique manifestations of the human spirit." - Wade Davis

This week in class as we talked about the different theories that exist pertaining to the family. There are four different types, being Conflict, Exchange, System, and Symbolic Interaction. One of those that really hit home with me was the Symbolic Interaction. This has to do with the ways that we interact with people, such as the way we greet one another. Here in the United States, when we see a family member we usually give them a nice big hug. When our husband comes home from work after a long day, we greet him with a nice warm dinner and a kiss for dessert. As we meet our banker or a complete stranger, we shake hands and exchange warm pleasantries. But, if you go on a vacation to Mongolia for example and attend one of their special occassions, in order to greet someone, you would actually snuff tobacco from the bottle being passed around to the group. Or, in the Middle East, you will give two kisses to whoever you are meeting, regardless of their gender. So, needless to say, there are a lot of different symbolic interactions that different cultures observe. I know that in Jamaica, I would experience things that I wasn't really used to doing in my own culture. I noticed that as I lived with different individuals from other cultures, sometimes we would have misunderstandings because we had been brought up differently. It would even get funny sometimes. One time we were going at each other for how each towel should be used, how this one should never touch the floor, this one shouldn't be used to clean this up, and this one shouldn't be hung on this bar. I look back and laugh at it now. But it's so true that it can be really hard to overcome the differences when we've never known what those differences are.

It's not even just between culture to culture; I see it every single semester I have attended at BYU-Idaho. Four girls in an apartment, all having different families, different traditions, different personalities, and different experiences. That was one thing we talked about in class, was about how when things like this happen, or even when marriage occurs and two people join together, conflict theory can appear. This refers to the conflicts that can happen when differences come together. Think about when the hot water runs out, and we have to budget time in the shower. Or about how it just drives you CRAZY that that certain roommate isn't doing dishes, or leaving watermarks on the counter after she brushes her teeth. We ALL get it! :) 

We also talked a lot about how we just misunderstand each other. We kind of expect one another to be perfect; we may say we don't do that, but I think to different extents we do this in our minds. We tend to judge one another and forget that we're all going through a journey. The journeys are all totally different and unique to every person, but they're all hard nonetheless! That was what I learned in class....QUIT COMPLAINING. QUIT JUDGING. And yeah, I'll be annoying and even quote the Golden Rule. "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you!" Same principle folks. There's a reason it's the Golden Rule. It was interesting to re-learn that, and to get a reminder from everyone in the class about how every soul is great in the sight of God. About how I need to start seeing the people I pass on the freeway or walk by in Walmart or live with in Rexburg in a better light. Everyone needs a break, SO GIVE IT TO EACH OTHER! 

I'll leave you with one last quote. And I'm going to ask you to leave your thoughts in the comments! :) I feel like I'm having a one-sided conversation here. What do YOU think? :)

"It is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognize, accept, and celebrate those differences." -Audry Lorde