In a world in which, all too often, ethnic and religious differences create conflict within and between countries, the United States continues to be a unique social experiment. Our country is a mirror of the world's diversity -- people of every skin color and ethnic type can be found here, taking up citizenship and pursuing life and liberty along with those whose families have been here for many generations.
Nevertheless, the critical word is "experiment." Historians and other countries of the world are waiting to see how this experiment in diversity will play out, and its outcome could not be more important. For if the United States can survive and even thrive as a model of peaceful diversity, surely the rest of the world can, too.
My hypothesis is that the United States, little by little, will not only meet the challenges of its increasing diversity, but will ultimately welcome that diversity and be much stronger for it.
Perhaps one very small piece of evidence for this hypothesis is a simple act of courtesy that takes place day after day at my local convenience store. In the Philadelphia area (and throughout the mid-Atlantic states), a popular spot is the local "Wawa," which people frequent to pick up their coffee, soft pretzel, or sandwich. Every morning, there's a steady stream of people going in and out of its two sets of double doors, so many that one door or the other is almost always in motion.
As a fairly recent convert to coffee drinking, I also started visiting the local Wawa, and gradually became aware of an unspoken ethic that prevails there. The assumption is this: It doesn't matter who you are and who the other person is, if you are first to reach the door, you hold it open for the other to pass through, as well as anyone else who follows behind you.
The cumulative picture over many days is something quite remarkable: a young girl in a soccer uniform opens the door for a retiree, an Asian man in a business suit holds the door for a white man in working boots; a Hispanic woman in a jogging outfit holds the door for an African American with a briefcase, who in turn holds the door for a teenager talking on a cell phone. Day after day, people of every age, skin shade, and walk of life hold the door for each other, in an unspoken recognition of equality and respect as they go about their daily business.
I thought I was the only one noticing and appreciating this, until one day out of the blue my husband said, "It would be great to write an article about the Wawa ethic." I knew right away what he meant, because I have a sense of pride in the attitude that people have there. I'd like to think that it's representative of progress being made in the great social experiment that is the United States of America.
Our diversity is truly our strength. The more we as Americans recognize this and hold the door wide open for each other, the more we will help lead the way toward a much broader community of peoples and nations living peacefully in the world. In our unique country, global thinking can start at the local convenience store.
Ruth Anderson is a personal coach and job transition consultant who helps people redesign their lives around what they do best and care about most. Visit her at www.vantagepointcoaching.com to learn about her reading group, "Outside the Box."
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