“Culture makes people understand each other better. And if they understand each other better in their soul, it is easier to overcome the economic and political barriers. But first they have to understand that their neighbour is, in the end, just like them, with the same problems, the same questions.” ~ Paulo Coelho
The Culture Trap…
To some, this post will seem like a pandering to highly restricted norms.
To others, it will seem racist, naive, or even just “out there”.
All are correct as I am trying to resolve some latent confusion about how my life needs to flow into the future and with whom!
Maybe it is because I have never been exposed to another culture from an actual “living” perspective. I am a Buckeye American, a proud Ohio State fan, born and raised in Fremont, Ohio — way up north on the border between Canada and the USA.
Canadians are foreigners!
And, today, I live and play among them here in my beautiful RV park in Palm Springs, California.
But…
Could I actually fall in love with a person from a radically different culture where there is an automatic language barrier, and by logical extension, a barrier to effective communication at the most basic levels?
I am open-minded but I have come to the conclusion that at 76, there is little time for cultural integration of music, tradition, language, and everything else (like family relationships).
If you cannot communicate ideas, feelings, and your true thoughts, you will feel alone… mentally lonely, even though you are with someone 24/7/365. There is no point in being with someone only to be lonely in the end.
Maybe if I were a natural linguist, or did not make my living with words — but recent experiences with women born south of the border pose a complex set of issues that make it nearly impossible for me to even see how “things can work out” as some of my friends think they can/will.
To love and be loved again means to understand and be understood.
There is no question millions of people from vastly different cultures find each other… find a meaningful way to communicate… and either learn to live with the deficiencies or grow from them.
Again, TIME is my enemy in both affairs of the heart and the mind!
I will be adding to this post for the next few months. It feels like I am pre-judging entire races, but I know myself, AUTHENTICALLY, so I need to take this seriously.
Some might say, just go with your feelings.
No, this is a time to truly pay attention and go with my head!
Eric Richard Haas
Grace Note: Black/white, American/Latina, Greek/Asian… I never gave any thought to the complexity of cross-cultural experiences except while on vacation! How about you? Can you survive inside a blender?:)
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