Diversity

Today I drove 3 hours north to Potter Valley High School. This was a great little school that was attached to the middle school and elementary school. The senior class was 20 kids, the whole high school was 80. They had grown up with each other, knowing each other since kindergarten. The interesting thing about the school was the lack of diversity. I saw one Asian, and that was the computer teacher. I saw 7 Hispanics and they were walking home together so it seemed like they were from the same family. I can't imagine growing up like that. One reason I like the high school my kids attend was because of the diversity. I remember living in Korea and they were proud of their homogeneous society. But what happens when there isn't diversity is that you fear what you don't know. You don't learn to understand other's points of view and your whole life is narrow. My oldest daughter liked her uniqueness (being the only American at the whole school) and took advantage of it. I remember when she was in third grade she decided to have her ears pierced since the Korean kids couldn't do that. She told me that she was American so the school said it was ok for her to pierce her ears. The whole family went to the beauty parlor for Lindsey to get her ears pierced. On the way, Lindsey convinced her younger sister to do it also. I wasn't sure it that was the best idea, but Lindsey has always been very persuasive. So, when we got to the beauty parlor guess who was the first to get their ears pierced, Jayne of course. Lindsey suggested that Jayne go first, and guaranteed to Jayne it wasn't going to hurt. I can still see the lady using that "gun" to pierce the first ear, as soon as the first ear was pierced Lindsey asked Jayne if it hurt. Jayne looked at Lindsey and her eyes watered and ONE tear fell down her cheek. That was enough for Lindsey, she got up and walked out the door. I stretched my arm out and pulled Lindsey back in. By that time Jayne's second ear was done and I put Lindsey up on the chair. It was so funny then to hear Jayne convince Lindsey it didn't hurt much. They both walked home that day with their ears pierced.

I can also remember when I was in first grade we lived in East Orange, New Jersey. My best friend was black, but I didn't realize he was black, if that makes any sense. I grew up with my father in the army so race was never anything I identified with. I can remember one day going to the bus stop and some "big kids" were picking on me. They were asking me why I had a black friend. I seriously didn't know what they were talking about. I got hit at the bus stop that day and I can remember going home crying. when my mom asked me what happened I told her I didn't know. I told her I got hit and I didn't understand why. She then told me what the kids were upset about, but I really didn't understand. I'm glad I grew up with many kinds of diversity.