How did you define diversity in high school?

The human race likes to segment each other into groups, us and them. The conflict between rival gangs drives the plot of the Broadway show and film, West Side Story. The Sharks, are from Puerto Rico and the Jets, are local white kids. In the musical Grease, the conflict is between the T-Birds and Scorpions.

What were the divides and disputes when you were growing up?

A quick review of my Senior class yearbook revealed the minority population of Latino, Asian, and African American students was a whopping 6.835938% (rounded to the millionths place, so it feels like a bigger number). There were so few minorities; the white kids had to develop other ways to segregate. As a result, we self-selected into the standard categories promoted in Disney movies; jocks, brains, cheerleaders, cowboys, and stoners (those that smoked cigarettes behind school). Those that didn't fit into a neat category represented the unidentified mass.

My kids had a different experience. Their high school was 21% white and had a significant impact on shaping worldviews. My daughter cited the need for racial diversity as a primary driver while investigating colleges.

Where did the dividing lines emerge for you? Was it around religious sects, grades, race, after school activities, sexual orientation, socioeconomic gradients, academics, or language?

How did your crowd talk about others? What events drove the groups to break down barriers? Did you work to break the divides down or to reinforce them? How have you grown to appreciate diversity since your high school days? Where have you seen the most change?

Do you appreciate or tolerate?

Tolerate is the verb of diversity, and it is a poor choice.

tol·er·ate, verb.
a:  to allow to be or to be done without prohibition, hindrance, or contradiction
b:  to put up with; to put up with something trying or painful.

Is tolerance the best we can hope for today? A worldwide connection of people offering the best of every corner of the globe is at our fingertips. Why do we choose to describe this interconnectedness with merely "putting up" with one another?

Where do you define the limits of acceptable diversity; race, political, religious, sexual orientation, fiscal, or sports teams? What worldviews are your third rail and will never be included within your definition of acceptable diversity? We conveniently affix the label of "phobia" to the category outside the acceptable diversity circle, add in a bit of "ignorant," and they are now perfectly dead to us. God help us if they show up to the Thanksgiving table and don't talk to me about toleration!

We teach our kids to embrace their own interests, talents, what makes them unique, and encourage play with others on the playground. We repost our favorite memes that encourage following your own path but bristle when someone follows through and shares a different worldview.

Let's try "appreciate" instead of "tolerate" as the diversity verb of choice.

ap·pre·ci·ate, verb.
a:  to grasp the nature, worth, quality, or significance of
b:  to judge with heightened perception or understanding: be fully aware of
c:  to recognize with gratitude

Appreciation forces a discussion to understand, instead of relying upon a comfortable judgment and issuing a dismissive stereotype. It is a rare individual that has achieved all wisdom without a journey. Perhaps you and I have not reached enlightenment yet. Just maybe, one of those "third rail" people has something to teach us.

Those other kids on the playground talk funny, have names difficult to pronounce, dress weird, and eat strange foods. However, since we are grownups, maybe we appreciate the diversity of the other "kids" on the playground. From the moon's perspective, we are all in this together. Tolerance is easy; appreciation is hard, thankfully someone has been doing it for us.

Going Further: What relationship needs to shift to appreciation? What are your "third rail" topics? What groups do you refuse to integrate into your "diversity" definition?

Definition Source: http://www.merriam-webster.com/

What do you appreciate about politics in your country?

The USA will hold elections on Tuesday. This particular presidential election cycle has been one for the record books and will provide plenty to analyze for future changes.

The temptation is to spend our time emphasizing all that is wrong with the opposition, the country, and the political process. Push back against the temptation, cause the brain to sweat, and notice the good. This line of thought may require lubricant to get the rusted gears of our brain functioning.

The ability for each citizen to have a voice in the political process and influence the leadership of the country is a relatively new possibly. The opportunity to cast a vote per our conscious is a precious gift and must be treated as such.

Henry Ford famously quipped, "a customer can have a car painted any color he wants as long as it’s black." A choice of multiple political candidates is still a choice. The process is public, known, and anyone that desires can throw their hat in the ring to provide another choice.

I appreciate those willing to spend their lives serving constituents. Not everyone is prepared to endure the meat grinder that is the negative and media infused political process.

We, the flawed populous, have incredible freedoms protected by imperfect elected officials. This dynamic will ensure we fight for the diversity of thoughts and desires held by the people.

Internal diversity also exists. I don't see the world exactly the same today, as twenty years ago. It is good I don't get everything I want today because I won't be the same in another twenty years. Different perspectives provide space for transformation. If your positions don't grow and change over your lifetime, you have missed the point.

Going Further: How has this political season altered your view of politics? What has this season caused you to appreciate about previous elections? What political candidate do you appreciate and why?