Observations from Ohio
It's Sunday night and one of my preferred blogging periods. I think I like to use blogging as an excuse to be productive but avoid the fact that classes are tomorrow and homework is tonight...(my teammates are yelling at the screen right now - do your work!)
As you may have already noticed, I am not big on using pictures in my blog posts. I have come up with one post which will include a picture; you'll just have to wait and see because it could be a few weeks before the time is right.
Part of the application for this blogging position (yes, we had to apply; I'm not sure how I slipped through the cracks) included what our background was. I grew up in Cincinnati, OH , attended a private all male high school, studied Civil Engineering at Purdue University, and then worked as a structural engineer in Dayton, OH. Cincinnati isn't known for it's diverse population. Going to an elite high school doesn't exactly expose you to the different cultures of the world, although some of my classmates were from other countries. Purdue has one of the largest international student populations in the country - but I can't say that I really gained much insight into the rest of the world while studying structural engineering (although, I was fortunate to work with some great people from India during one summer). Working for a small structural engineering firm in Dayton, OH actually did give me some exposure to people from outside the US. Fisher has been a different story.
I think one of our professors did a good job summarizing: Essentially, some people will try to say all people are same. In some respects, this is definitely true. We are all human. However, the reality is we are all very different - we are all unique. In my short time here at Fisher (wow - about 6 weeks already), I've been exposed to people from vastly different parts of this country, and from places all over the world. While there is obviously some comfort in the people from familiar places and familiar backgrounds, I find the most interesting individuals to be those from unfamiliar places and unfamiliar backgrounds.
I have a teammate who is from China. I have a teammate who is from India. Obviously, we have been exposed to different situations. However, I have already noticed that we share a lot of the same struggles - again, we are all human. I've noticed we share a lot of the same concerns. I've noticed we share a lot of the same motivations. Even though we have different perspectives, we still approach a lot of things the same way. Perhaps, deep down we are all a lot alike.
However, the differences that do exist force all of us to grow. For those of you who get most of your international exposure through television, I assure you, the world is much bigger than anything the TV will ever teach you.
The challenge for this average Joe from Ohio - and for everyone - is to embrace the similarities and the differences. Be honest. Be open to learning and trying new things. Show people you care. Human nature is to appreciate feeling like someone cares.
"We all live with the objective of being happy; our lives are all different and yet the same." - Anne Frank
-NWF