We are All Different, But Also the Same

I came across a quote the other day. It was:

“Become friends with people who aren’t your age. Hang out with people whose first language isn’t the same as yours. Get to know someone who doesn’t come from your social class. This is how you see the world. This is how you grow.”

This quote got me thinking about why surrounding ourselves with different types of people matters.

How social media has led to friendships

When I first started blogging just four years ago, I thought, “Who’s even going to read my blog? I’m a nobody. My readers will probably be just my friends in Perth (Australia). Well, if that.”

However, within a short period of time, my blog was being read outside of Australia and I found myself connecting with people from the USA to Germany.

I have been in contact with all kinds of people from different parts of the world. I have been in contact with people whose age differ to mine, whose spiritual and religious beliefs differ to mine, whose lifestyle and even language differ to mine.

I have been able to experience different cultures without stepping foot outside of my home.

Why this all matters

What I’ve realized after being in contact with people from different parts of the world is as different as we all are, we are actually very much the same. We all want to be happy. We all want to make a valuable contribution to society. We all want to feel loved and cared for.

But it’s vital that we continue to meet people from all walks of life to remind us that we really are the same. That our skin color might differ, that our experiences may not run parallel to another person’s experiences, but many similarities do exist.

My dreams to travel to America

When I was a young child, I always dreamed of travelling to the USA. And I hope that I do one day. I hope that I get the chance to go to the USA to meet the people I’ve gotten to know online. People like NYC Talking’s editor, Angel Rodriguez.

I hope that I get the chance to see for myself how different the USA is to Australia, but also, how similar we are as people.

We need to remember that as different as our lives might be to another’s, we can always find similar ground in our values and in our struggles.

We need to remember that regardless of who we are on the outside, it’s the inside that really matters in the end.