Saturday,

By nature, I’m a people observer, loving to take in the subtle nuances of their mannerisms, the way they converse with others, how they process things in their minds and then how that translates through their actions. I’ve always believed that being a good observer generates tolerance. I remember as a young girl, my father and I would go and sit in the entry atrium of the Natural History Museum in Los Angels and just watch people as they came and went.

Normally, an extremely active child who barely could sit still, when offered the opportunity to people observe, my entire persona changed to that of one who was more than content to sit for hours, barely moving a muscle as I watched and absorbed everything those around me did.

By college, I became fascinated with the reasons people do the things they do and switched my major to Sociology after my first year. I wanted to know why people are driven to do the things they do. I was also driven to uncover what causes the gears in some people’s brains to absorb a situation one way, while another, exposed to the very same situation, walks away with an entirely different impression.

There’s a saying that if you haven’t walked a mile in another’s shoes, then you don’t truly understand them. That saying has captivated me the majority of my life, for I believe it with all my heart. As such, whenever I get the chance to do just that, walk a mile in another’s shoes, I jump at the opportunity.

I suppose that, for me, it’s not enough to go through life only knowing how I view the world and how it affects me. No, my thirst is far greater, prompting me to drink in how those same things affect others, and then I give great thought as to why our impressions may differ.

I’ve learned much by observing folks over the years. The most valuable lesson I’ve learned is that though we may appear to be quite different on the surface, when you get right down to it, most people are similar in that they are driven to make their way through this thing we call life to the best of their ability. And, just as we hope for, they aim to achieve acceptance of who they are by those around them.

When you strip away the BS society tries to tell us about how everyone’s so different or should be judged, and focus on how similar we are, it makes being tolerant of the differences a whole lot easier and enjoyable.