Let’s start this with a question.

If you don’t openly and vulnerably engage in conversation with others, how do you ever grow? 

And then, let’s say their experiences are different than yours, or they disagree with you?

Isn’t that a monumental opportunity to try and think from their perspective?

The best, most robust, vivid, and loud memories I have are from conversation with others. You know why? becuase you can learn from people things that you would never, ever learn from a textbook. And, too, you can learn from people the same things that you could potentially learn in a textbook.

Say you’re speaking with a historian…

That historian could relay to you many things about 1871 which was the year of the Great Chicago Fire. They could share with you the historical knowledge that contains the ensuing challenge of rebuilding a city. They could also, however, tell you about their love for the city. Their experiences in the city. Their other experiences, compared and contrasted with those in the city.

And that’s why I think people are so damn fascinating. That’s why meeting at least one new person everyday is my life blood. Like the Cook family from the U.K. that I met last week while navigating the D.C. metro and shared with me their traveling adventures, or the woman I met from Iowa near the monuments a month ago who taught me how well-known Iowa is for corn. Or maybe it’s Nathan with whom I did Big Brothers Big Sisters or maybe it’s Effie that I met at a high school in Northern Virginia – and the great things that both of them taught me about determination. And these are just FUN things I’ve learned (because the rest of this post is kinda weighty).

There are limitless things to learn from the people around us. 

And when you allow yourself to put up a wall against someone and their opinion just because it’s different than yours – it’s dangerous.

Today, one of my best friends and “mentees” (wow, do I feel like a grandpa even considering that term. But he mentors me too, don’t get it twisted #TreFitty) Josh J. shared the following quote with me. It was originally written or spoken by Ralph Waldo Emerson.

He said, “Let me never fall into the vulgar mistake of dreaming that I am persecuted whenever I am contradicted.”

As I head to bed for the night, that expression rings particularly true and echoes a sentiment that we do not need to agree with one another to be kind, respectful, or engage in challenging discourse. Just a little heavy food for thought for your Tuesday night (now, Wednesday morning).

Thanks for reading. :)