I can't speak for anyone else. But my life is greatly enriched by the many variety of friends and folks that are a part of my day to day existence.
Among my "inner circle" I have buddies of all different ethnicities, religious backgrounds, vocations and educational levels. And hopefully you do too.
Which is why I felt compelled in some way to honor and embrace October, which is officially Diversity Awareness month.
For more details, feel free to read my post at www.Jobacle.com on October 22nd, for an in-depth look at this special time of year.
As they say, "variety is the spice of life."
And as creative artists and "messengers," we would do well to broaden our horizons and enrich the lives of others by not being too "narrowly" focused or intolerant of views and expressions that are different than our own.
Here are a few ways to honor diversity as writers and bloggers!
1. Periodically visit and read Blogs that are outside of your niche. And leave a comment.
2. If you write non-fiction, try penning a poem, or a food review, or a fictional piece for publication or as a post on your blog.
3. Go to a book signing for an author of which you are unfamiliar.
4. Get out and meet other writers in your area---be it at a local coffee shop, a writers' meeting, or an open mic night. Each one reach one!
And in the spirit of this month and what it stands for, I'd like to take this opportunity to thank EACH OF YOU for your support and for the rich tapestry woven across many miles, regions and countries!
I am proud to say that my "followers" and friends are a testament to what the real world should mirror.
A quick look at the beautiful faces and images reflect Black, White, and too many ethnicities and races and regions to mention. Some are writers, some are crafters. Some are stay at home moms. Some are newbies, others are well published authors. There are men and women. On my "block" are teachers, editors, poets, interior decorators, gardeners, entrepreneurs, and others.
According to my Blog's analytics, followers hail from the U.S., U.K., Russia, India, The Netherlands, and South Korea--to name a few.
You rock!
I even have a fan who is, (as she describes herself) a 14 year old who is 200% Irish. :-)
How do I know? Because I visit your sites as well. And when time permits, I try to leave comments to say hello. ;-)
To each of you I bid a happy Diversity Awareness Month and a happy and safe Halloween!
Please share any thoughts you might have on this post.
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Diversity is priceless. From it, we learn different ways of thinking, different ways of resolving an issue, a different balancing of priorities, etc. From these differences, we can emulate what we find to be a better way of doing things or respectfully decline to follow what doesn't work for us. I used to (slightly) resent my foreign upbringing because it made my siblings and I so different from our suburban peers. Now these peers are discovering and adopting as a part of their own lives traditions amd cuisines I grew up on. My resentment has turned to gratitude, and just a more intelligent understanding of how differences make the world go 'round. But I digress, Jennifer. Thank you for commenting on a topic near and dear to my heart.
ReplyDeleteJanette,
ReplyDeleteGood to hear from you. This is interesting stuff. :-)B/T/W... As a "foodie", I have cookbooks from just about every cuisine and culture you could imagine. Thanks for sharing a little about yourself with me and my readers!
Thanks for these thoughts and tips. It's very easy to stay in 'our little world' and never get beyond that. Wise words, Jennifer!
ReplyDeleteThanks Karen! I appreciate your input.
ReplyDeleteHere's to making our worlds a little bigger and expanding our minds and hearts a little wider! Excellent suggestions here on how to do just that. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Emma! Here's a "toast" to that! .:-)
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