Cultural Diversity- A Symbol Of Universal Love For Humanity

Often we live in a world that people are judgemental, have their own ideas, bias, prejudice, and discriminating. A few years back I sat in Cultural Diversity class watching films on immigrants, learning about other cultures and countries. What man has done to the human race as they immigrated to the United States. I was just a small town girl with a limited view and perspective of the world. I had no idea at the time where I would be today. I'm sure back than I thought I was not prejudice or discriminating. I only knew what I had seen on the TV on the Media. I wasn't even on the Internet yet except for research projects.

The last three years of my life I have changed considerably. Maybe perhaps because of my spiritual views, as well as being a humanitarian, and social worker I understood the importance of being cultural diversified. How does one become that way?

I have been on various social work sites, and Second life. I have been putting myself in different groups, learning who they are, their views, why they think the way they do. I have also stretched myself to get beyond the discrimination and prejudice barriers. I was brought up in a conservative christian town. We have a church on every corner practically, and nothing else but that. It is a dominantly white area, with few other ethnic groups. If you go east, north, or south you will find different ethnic groups, but not in my area.

It is basically sheltered, a low crime rate, a good area to bring up children, or retire. It is a beautiful area, but also more on the wealthy side and middle class. I understand today that I could have never possibly learned what I have if I chose to stay in my small town sheltered world. The world is a very huge place, but also filled with many different cultures and groups of people. Although Second Life is a game, I can say that it was the best experience of my life, and I learned about the world through other people from their own countries, as well as sexual gender preferences, racial, spiritual, religious and non-religious views.

Whether it was acceptable or not I put myself in different groups like the Dutch, German, Australian, Switzerland, U.K., as many more countless countries across the globe, but I tried to learn about each area. I have allowed myself in to other ethnic groups of all sorts from other countries as well as African Americans and Native Americans. I also learned about Gay groups, Lesbian groups, and other sexual genders by talking to them and understanding them trying to see where they come from. Especially when one of my friends in my home town was killed possibly by a serial killer. I have talked to Psychics, Wiccans, Shaman, Buddha, Christian, and other religions.I have spoken to various atheists and heretics while still holding my own true views. I understood it was a place I could learn about just about everything. There are groups about everything. Fortunately the more I learned about all these labels we put on each other, what the media says, what the Internet says, and what your family and society says, are two different things. The only way you find the truth out is by stripping yourself from all those false beliefs and lies. Experience it yourself and observe and listen to other people without judgement, or discrimination.

I can listen to people all I want to, but I have learned basically a few things. We all have some things in common. Love is universal, we have the same family issues, struggling with some of the same issues as of lack of love in the world, loneliness, relationships, wars, prejudices, arguments, and discrimination's. I don't think any of them are bad people they just choose to do things the way their society has taught them and their culture. We live differently, we have been brought up differently. I have learned to respect them as people, not a label. We all deserve to be respected and loved where we are. We struggle with the same personal issues whether we are men or women across the globe.

I have learned that many good things about the world and its people, some times they live better lives all the way around compared to Americans. I even understand why they feel the way they do about Americans and our Government. They have add much flavor to my soul. There are things I didn't like, or agree with, but I understand we all have problems in our countries. I understand the more I study about them the more I learn. I am proud of myself for loving them for who they are and not changing them into who I would like them to be. I don't have a problem with anyone because I choose to accept them for who they are.

It was not easy becoming diversified, or shedding things that my own country programmed me to believe about others, but I challenged myself to have open mind and learn. I think anyone can argue, or judge, or discriminate, but until you've actually experienced relationships and listen to them tell their stories, you don't learn anything by talking and having a closed mind.

I just choose that route to live in peace and harmony with my brothers and sisters in the world. I don't need to be right, nor have to be in agreement to love them. I don't have to be at war with them, or be an example of hate. It is a choice to love others, it just depends on whether you stand in the gap, and stand for something worth standing for. You either stand for love or hate. There is no in between. Your either focused on one or the other, you demonstrate in your life one or the other. Your actions, words, and example send the message of what you are about. I grew up reading about Mother Theresa what she believed, and now I understand why she said make other people better people where they are. It is not my job to change them but to be the example of love and not hate. To participate in love and not war. I can not save anyone in the world. I can not fix anyone. I can not stop arguments or wars. Only make people aware of their actions and behaviors toward one another. They either choose to listen or they choose not too. It is their choice.

There is no perfection, but only imperfection in the world. There is no wrong or right answers, but to be your true self, if you be anything else you have only failed yourself and no one else.

For me I just choose to be a symbol of unconditional universal love & Peace.

All rights reserved HattieMattieMae Spiritweaver April 21, 2011