Outside of the Norm

Most narrow-minded people are those that have never ventured out into the world. They condemn other races, ways of life, moral decisions, religions, and cultures without even experiencing anything first hand. Feeling superior to others is important for the intolerant people of the world. They never leave their "world" for fear that something else might be out there. They are frightened by the fact that someone else may be happy living another life, and that another life may be better than their own. Instead of scanning the possibilities, these people confine themselves to their own realm.

As I watched the slides of Dr. Bruce Allen’s trip project onto the screen, the colorful and energetic pictures of China and Tibet mesmerized me. I wanted nothing but to be in the places that he photographed and meet the interesting people that he talked to each day. The lives of the people who belong to those pictures must be just as vibrant as the pictures themselves. I can picture couples sneaking to meet each other in the gardens at night. I imagine a women putting a pray for her dying son on one of the flags on the mountain. There must have once been a man who joyously went home to one of those apartment buildings after he received a promotion at work earlier in the day. All people feel happiness, desperation, and joy despite their country, culture, or race. Everyone could understand this basic fact if they would only choose to go beyond their comfort zone. Learning is taking the conscious effort to do the age-old walk in another person’s shoes.