Don't live that way.
...dress like me
...talk like me
...think like me
...learn like me
...worship like me.
In short, see the world as I do.
Assimilation
photo from wikipedia
The study of evolution has opened our eyes to the astounding diversity of ways that humans and all animate things adapt to our environments, as well as to the stabilizing strength inherent in that diversity. However, what we are learning from biological processes at play in evolution has not been evident in US policy related to either native peoples or immigrant assimilation and accommodation.
Assimilating particularities into the dominant culture has been the piéce de resistance, or so we've been led to believe.
Are cultural, artistic or religious particularities so different than biological ones? Aren't we stronger, more flexible and able to withstand a vicissitude of impacts if our particularities stay just that? We can learn and grow from diversity of perspective but not with the goal of becoming like 'the other'; the goal is, from this perspective, to allow the diversity to strengthen our particularities.
Ceasing to either force assimilation or alternatively appropriate others' cultural and belief systems as our own, instead diving deep enough to find our rootedness, we find those roots entangled, but living harmoniously and sometimes symbiotically. There's an artesian well of strength and joy in our particularities living and dying in vital, convoluted evolution. But they are not the same roots, and they don't make the same trees.
Thanks to the talented and prolific Gautami at rooted for this week's One Single Impression prompt: assimilate Follow the link to appropriately assimilate a variety of responses to this excellent prompt.
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About Beth Patterson
The Virtual Tea House website became 'word-ripe' when, over a cup of jasmine green, I realized that the web has an expanding part to play in the communal aspects of spiritual growth.
With a master's degree in religion, my career spans 20 years in end of life care and I currently work in the field of child abuse intervention and advocacy.
Here in beautiful Central Oregon, my spiritual homes of the high desert and the mountains are both in proximity. And for good measure, four hours away is Grandmother Ocean and the stunning Oregon Coast.
I'm making decent progress on the goal set by my mother early on: she taught us that the goal of humanity should be to become ever-more eccentric, i.e. more fully human.
Entering the 'forest-dweller' phase of life, I am honored to host the Virtual Tea House for all who wish to explore how our lives are enriched and made new a thousand times each day by the spirituality we embody. Exploring this engagement together is the purpose of the Virtual Tea House.
Welcome! Let's have a cup of virtual tea together and share what brings us joy, what we are being taught by life, how we are leaning into the Big Questions posed to us each day in sometimes 'distressing disguises'.
Follow me on Twitter, if you must
http://twitter.com/MyraB