We have an alarming problem in this country of taking ourselves far too seriously. We need to take a couple of steps back and stop worrying about what color our skin is, what differences we have in our cultures, gender and sexual identities, and what others in society think of us. When all is said and done, our blood is the same color, genetically we are virtually indistinguishable from one another, and we were all born on the same planet. It seems that we have built up more reasons to remain apart when we should be finding reasons to come together. This is most distressing to me.
When I sit and thing of all the things that keep us apart, I am amazed that we have even managed to make it into the Twentieth Century, let alone a new millenium. We as a human race have decided that because of minor physical differences, (due mostly to adapting to the various local environments with which our ancestors were forced to contend), we need to have special labels that identify us as "Caucasian", "African-American", "Hispanic", "Oriental", "Native-American," and so forth. Culturally, we have developed differences as well, along lines of spiritual beliefs, mores and acceptable behaviors, sexual orientations, among our various groups etc. It becomes easy to see why we find ourselves so lost and alone unless we are with the "group" we most identify with.
There have been rare times in this century where one "nationality" hasn't been at war with another over differences. All wars may be financial, but many times the reasons that inspire a people to make war upon another are ideological. The Germans during WWII are a prime example of this, the continued war against the Jews in the Middle East is another. The self-destruction of Bosnia-Herzegovina over nationalistic and religious lines further demonstrates how we as a human community are determined to destroy ourselves.
I myself find that even with my liberal and open-minded tendencies, I still feel more comfortable around people of my own racial and cultural group over those of others. We are so splintered in thought, sight, and mind that it is difficult to avoid some amount of enculturation by those we feel we belong to.
I believe that we overlook the obvious here. Whether we choose to look at the wondrous variety in which we are created as a difference that is vast enough to hate, fight, or kill over, or look at them as just minor adaptations and accept we are members of the same species. Our blood is the same color, our thoughts, hopes, dreams, desires, passions spawn from the same places. Even the majority of Earth's religions have similar concepts and philosophies at their core. We are given the choice: embrace our fears, prejudices, and hatreds which keep us divided against one another and limit our accomplishments, or seek something higher and noble within ourselves and each other. Those of us who choose to live at the bottom of human emotions can drag the rest of us down if we let them, while those of us who choose to reach for something higher open up limitless possibility for ourselves and our posterity.
The next time you catch yourself judging someone based on beliefs, cultural, physical, or any other perceived "differences", put yourself in their position, how would you feel if someone treated or thought of you the same way you are thinking of them? I guarantee if you truly allow yourself to "walk a mile in someone else's shoes," your perspective will change.