An Open Mind

Today someone told me that I am a really open person. This was in response to a conversation we were having about my view on interracial relationships, cultures different from my own, people from different religions and my work. Being in the field of international education certainly exposes me to many people from various walks of life, different customs and cultures, religions, political beliefs and values. Perhaps I was attracted to that field precisely because of my openness.

Today I believe my friend was talking about something deeper than being an open person and that is acceptance: acceptance and a willingness to embrace people different from me, to listen to their point of view, to consider a different way of thinking and to be respectful in the process. I'm referring to acceptance of people as human beings, and not defined by gender, race, nationality, ethnic group, sexual orientation, social or economic class, or whatever label you choose to give someone.

As children growing up, we are "in training" in the development of who we are as persons, what we believe and stand for, and what we value. (In my opinion, this makes parenting the most important job that anyone can ever have. The second most important, in my view, are teachers.) Children depend upon their parents and other adults to teach them and model behaviors and values that lead us to being successful, well-adjusted adults. As children, we certainly don't have too many choices about the beliefs and exposure to various points of views and to having an open mind unless the influential adults in our lives encourage us to do so. The rules of life are "taught" to us by our parents, other family, school, peers, our religious community or by anyone or anything that is a significant influential factor in our lives. That influence may even be television, music, cell phones and certainly the Internet.