So many people walk around with a meaningless life. They seem half-asleep, even when they're busy doing things they think are important. This is because they're chasing the wrong things. The way you get meaning into your life is to devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning.
This is a quote from Morrie Schwartz, in "Tuesdays with Morrie" by Mitch Albom
This came to me yesterday while Joseph J. Mbele, Professor at St. Olaf College was talking to us at the Library about his life here in the United States and the differences of our cultures.
Life in Africa, Joseph explained, is family first everything else second. There are no rest homes, families take care of their elderly. There are no invitations, when there is a marriage, a party of any kind, you hear about it and go. You hear music and noise in the next block, you go.
Schedules are loose in Africa, you start out an hour early to go because you naturally have to stop along the way and talk to your aunt, friends, or just someone along the way and talk about the weather, your family or any other news of interest. You'll still be late because being social is more important then being on time.
Joseph explained about how hard it was to learn to look people in the eye while talking, that is not the custom in Africa. Don't feel bad if we look away often, he explained.
Education is the key to mend cultural differences he explained to the interested group attending on a beautiful spring morning. We need to learn and accept our differences and try to understand why people feel the way they do about our new immigrants.
By learning why Immigrants do what they do, (stand in groups on street corners, look away when talking to them, not learning English fast enough because the lack of ESL teachers, not joining our organizations because of lack of trust, working more then one job because of low pay, and more), we can learn to accept our new friends.
Joseph said that anti-immigrant groups also need to be heard and understood why they feel like they do. What happened to them to feel the way they do. There needs to be understanding on all sides.
Joseph said he gets meaning in his life through teaching his students about the meaning and differences of cultures and his work with the Faribault Diversity Coalition.
He sees the Diversity Coalition as way of loving all people and devoting oneself to the community and creating something that gives purpose and meaning, like Morrie said.
Thanks Joseph for more understanding of the African Culture.
The day ended with wonderful Somalian food brought by Hashi Geedi, Community Outreach Worker for the Welcome Center. The rice, goat meat, and chicken among other foods was delicious, and the desert was a better knowledge of the African Culture.
Have a gentle day, Milo
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