Re: Diversity
Tom & Nanci Kuykendall
It's been wonderfully eye-opening to read such
have access to a community as diverse as this internet one, especially in
my current home in a very mono-culturatic area. However, I feel I must
point out that my life was very diverse and I knew people and had friends
from all walks of life where I grew up, in San Francisco. While most folks
do not get the chance to live with such diversity daily, and it was one of
the up sides of growing up in the city, to say that NONE of us have ever
gotten that opportunity is not correct.
I had friends of every possible sexual orientation, family make-up, and
belief systems. I had gay friends, srtaight friends with gay parents, and
every possible variation of that scenario. I had friends who were homeless
and lived in youth shelters or in the park or on the beach. I had friends
with all sorts of substance abuse problems, friends from borken homes or in
abusive situations, friends with single or divorced parents, friends who
lived on their own and took care of themselves guite well at 14 and 15. I
had friends who were Buddhist, Toaist, Protestant, Baptist, Catholic,
Lutheran, Athiest, Wiccan, Pagan, Eclectic, or just plain confused.
That was one of the things I loved the most about living there. There was
so very much rich diversity in cultural and personal beliefs. It was easy
to learn to be tolerant and accepting and open minded, and to learn to that
everyone is a human being with the potential to be good and kind and
wonderful or full of hate and rage. I was weaned on these things. It was
all normal for me to see all these folks around me, to be the only English
speaker on the bus, the only white kid on the playground, the only person
with a two birth parent family, etc. It was a wonderful element in growing
up there, and I had the opportunity to open the minds of some folks who
were less fortunate in their environment by introducing them to some of my
wonderful friends.
Nanci K.
>a breadth of beliefs, and I hope that everyone still feels welcome on theI appreciate you sentiments, and I do share you valuing of being able to
>list. None of us would have had the chance to "meet" folks from such diverse
>belief systems in our day to day lives, and I value hearing from all of you.
>Leanne
have access to a community as diverse as this internet one, especially in
my current home in a very mono-culturatic area. However, I feel I must
point out that my life was very diverse and I knew people and had friends
from all walks of life where I grew up, in San Francisco. While most folks
do not get the chance to live with such diversity daily, and it was one of
the up sides of growing up in the city, to say that NONE of us have ever
gotten that opportunity is not correct.
I had friends of every possible sexual orientation, family make-up, and
belief systems. I had gay friends, srtaight friends with gay parents, and
every possible variation of that scenario. I had friends who were homeless
and lived in youth shelters or in the park or on the beach. I had friends
with all sorts of substance abuse problems, friends from borken homes or in
abusive situations, friends with single or divorced parents, friends who
lived on their own and took care of themselves guite well at 14 and 15. I
had friends who were Buddhist, Toaist, Protestant, Baptist, Catholic,
Lutheran, Athiest, Wiccan, Pagan, Eclectic, or just plain confused.
That was one of the things I loved the most about living there. There was
so very much rich diversity in cultural and personal beliefs. It was easy
to learn to be tolerant and accepting and open minded, and to learn to that
everyone is a human being with the potential to be good and kind and
wonderful or full of hate and rage. I was weaned on these things. It was
all normal for me to see all these folks around me, to be the only English
speaker on the bus, the only white kid on the playground, the only person
with a two birth parent family, etc. It was a wonderful element in growing
up there, and I had the opportunity to open the minds of some folks who
were less fortunate in their environment by introducing them to some of my
wonderful friends.
Nanci K.