Celebrating Diversity

The Fall Calling All Colors conference in western Michigan is not a tour of the changing face of the woods, it's an activity sponsored by the Lakeshore Ethnic Diversity Alliance for student and teacher participants from local schools. I acted as a facilitator for a BaFa BaFa simulation game that let participants take on unfamiliar cultural personalities. After introductions to the representatives from a dozen middle-schools, Roberto Jara (representing the Holland organization, Latin Americans United for Progress) reflected on his growing up as a Mexican-American in California. Then we broke out into Alpha and Beta cultural groups for training in cultural activities. The Alpha culture acknowledged patriarchal and family customs of respect and close togetherness (a facilitator was put off by the "touchy-feely" aspect) while playing a game with tokens that supported relationships. The Beta culture was driven by competition expressed in a primitive trading language while playing a game with cards that supported individual achievement. During the half-hour that groups played their games, observers and designated visitors attempted to fit in to the other cultural activities. Then we had time to meet together and discuss features of the pretend activity. I was impressed by the intensity the students brought to playing the games and their love & acceptance of the newly-learned culture. Apparently, in 2009, western Michigan communities already have diverse ethnic cultures.

a movie that moved me

Let's look at movies. I like to be suprised by "a little movie with a big heart" that was recommended by a forgettable link, it missed the Entertainment Tonight presentation, but it shows real personalities working out tragedy & comedy. Take a look at "Once". It touches on ecstasy & heartbreak with absolutely captivating music. Like in another movie, The Commitments, the guitar-playing guy character and his new friend, a piano-playing woman, reach for their dreams. I bought into their dreams, and this slice of life kept it real. He carries his guitar like a third arm. She has a family and supports his ambition. He's Irish and she's Czech. No easy resolution, but I loved this story!

what am I reading about?

So I'm a lifelong student of personalities. The classroom is any mall or WalMart, watching the parade of shoppers. Or novels - the good writers put me inside a personality. I read a lot of crime novels, murder mysteries or police procedurals or criminal activities, and some spy stories. Elmore Leonard and Lawrence Block (and Stephen King, but that's another story) are the masters. I've got to give props to Mr. Leonard, I'm reading his story about "Stick", a personality with the criminal mind, and it exposes human nature with perfect dialogue. In the movies from Mr. Leonard's work, the actors just read the book and the director just goes with the plot. Motivation: get the most for yourself with the least effort without getting hurt. It's the fantasy good life.