Vagabond Life Lesson #9 — About Differences

One of my priorities while traveling was to keep fit. I would regularly seek out a local LA Fitness club, YMCA, or JCC. On one occasion while working out at an LA Fitness in Phoenix, I noticed that I was the only one (maybe two) wearing a face mask. The Covid-19 pandemic was still raging and with all my travels I took extra precautions. In other states the percentage of those wearing masks was more mixed. And yes, I noticed a remarkable difference between red states and blue states.

While I am somewhat moderate in my political views, I stayed with friends and acquaintances at both ends of the political spectrum. I also visited with those who differed in other ways (e.g. religion, economic status, personality, ethnicity, etc.). Granted, there were many commonalities shared in values, having kids, learning mindset, athletics, etc. However, one thing I realized is that most, with a few exceptions, were white like me.

That’s an uncomfortable truth as I like to pride myself on embracing differences. In fact, most of my professional career has been invested in mediating conflicts among employees and teams whose differences get in the way of working together effectively. Oftentimes people’s personalities, processes, or principles clash and create a toxic work environment when not addressed in a constructive manner.

If you’ve known or have been following me for awhile, you probably know that one of my loves is nature. I’m fascinated by the diversity of flora and fauna that exists and how it all coexists.

Diversity in nature is the root of a sustainable and thriving ecosystem. Yet somehow we humans struggle to make meaningful progress towards peaceful coexistence much less a society thriving on differences.

While I have a decent degree of diversity amongst my professional network of colleagues, I don’t feel that I’ve done a very good job at building greater diversity into my personal life. To be honest, I’ve just gone with the flow. It’s bothered me for a long time. While I have expressed this publicly occasionally via some poems I wrote in the last few years, I’ve been fairly weak when it comes to advocating for those who don’t look like me; despite the fact that I’m often inspired by others and secret support them. That doesn’t really do much good on a practical level, right? Since wrapping up my Vagabond Adventure, I’ve become determined to integrate more diversity within my personal and professional life.

How embracing Differences shapes my world today

In my previous neighborhood, I always had a part of me that was bothered by how homogenous or “vanilla” it felt to me. Therefore, one of my criteria in selecting a new place to live was a neighborhood that had broader cultural and ethnic diversity. I found it in Oceanside, California. After a short while, I realized what I had been missing. My life has been more enriched because of it.

Meanwhile, when I’m out and about personally or professionally — I have made a conscious effort to challenge myself to approach individuals who do not look like me and get to know them. It’s a work in progress that will take some time, but my hope is that someday my personal network of close friends mirrors my ambitions to embrace a richer tapestry of individuals from various backgrounds and orientations. As an example, I recently was invited to a Coaches of Color networking meeting and a Black Entrepreneurs’ conference. I jumped at the chance to attend both. While I was one of just a few white folks in attendance, my goal of opening my mind and heart wide enough to take in some new perspectives was achieved. These small steps are just a start.

Another step I intend to take is to publicly support those who are often slighted and marginalized in our society — to become an Ally in a meaningful and measurable way. I have my own fears and concerns to wrestle with which may take awhile, but I’m determined to evolve in ways that reflect more of what I’d like to experience in the world.

All in all, stewarding this journey towards greater diversity may be bumpy and uncomfortable at times, but well worth it in the end.

How about you? In what ways might greater diversity enrich your life?

In the year since finishing my six-month Vagabond Adventure throughout the U.S. and Canada, I’ve had time to reflect on this incredible experience from which I gleaned 10 life lessons. Previously, I wrote about my experiences with Generosity , Connection, Flexibility, Security, Showing Up, Moving On, Your Environment, Energy and their impacts on me.