It finally dawned on me. I was sitting in the middle of the Piazza Duomo in Florence, Italy late one November evening this past fall. Nearing the end of my four month study abroad adventure, this once "foreign city" had quickly become home. I was going to be sad to leave it. My emotions and newfound cultural understanding hit me all at once. For twenty years, I had lived a simple life and wasn’t too concerned with other cultures. As long as things were "okay at home”, everything was just fine in my book.
Now, as I sat there people watching and drinking my Italian Espresso, I could truly say that I realized how important it is to have an understanding of other cultures. It’s not just about me. It’s not just about the neighborhood I called home for eighteen years. It's not just about the liberal arts university situated in a tiny plot of land in the upstate of South Carolina that I attend. There really is much more to our lives, to our existence.... to mankind.
Our mere existence, our “call to duty”, and our existential questions about life all have global implications whether we realize it or not. Being abroad, traveling the world, and emerging myself into cultures unlike my own proved to be one of the most gratifying opportunities I’ve had in my twenty one years. It allowed me to ask “those questions”. It allowed me to grow, flourish, and see things in a way I never thought possible.
I’m asking that we push beyond our localized view of the world, one that I too held for so long. The "life equation" isn’t complete until we move past this view. We need to teach our children, peers, and colleagues about global awareness and encourage them to accept that there’s something else out there. After all, the world would be a pretty great place if everyone approached life with this kind of open-minded ideology, now wouldn’t it?
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The more blogs I read from people around the world and the more I connect with others around the world, I realize how important global awareness is. I also know that if I'm learning so much now at my age, I can only imagine how much more our students can learn at their age. If you ever get a chance to read Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson, I think you would really enjoy it.
ReplyDeleteI went over to Europe last summer and seemed to come back to the United States with some similar feelings. We are so comfortable with our own lives and our own country that we often don't realize what life is like for others and what events are occuring around the world. I think that everyone should make a point of visiting other countries to experience life from another perspective. Although we certainly cannot afford to take our students to these places, I think technology is a great tool to use to help our students better understand the world and its many cultures.
ReplyDeleteI agree it is important to connect with others outside our "little world". It certainly increases our view point and understanding of other cultures. Even in our own neighborhood, we can reach out and connect with others who come from different backgrounds, family views, religions, and children in their home with special needs. Trying to connect and understand their views and needs can be enlightning and will also let them know that others care about them.
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