My bags are only partly unpacked, and my memories are still fresh. I spent two weeks in the company of a very diverse group of people with a common goal.
The Middlebury Language Schools provided a perfect setting for both learning the Abenaki language and helping to revitalize the culture that it enshrines and reflects.
My mental state was vastly improved by being in a community of learners who personified the idea that, for the purpose of improving the world at large, cooperation is superior to competition.
I also benefitted from being away from the daily barrage of screeds that decry how divided is our world. From my perspective, the true division is not between left and right, or between pro- and anti- the issue du jour — rather, there are two diametrically opposed worldviews. One group (and I include myself here) believes that diversity in all its forms is a good thing; that different ways of thinking, being, and acting all contribute to enriching our culture and our wellbeing. On the other hand are the people who believe that we should all think, act, and look alike.
To me, a world of sameness would be boring; if we all thought alike, nothing would ever change. Diversity is the engine of progress. Beyond that, it is hard to imagine that a world of sameness would be possible, let alone desirable.
I am grateful for having had the opportunity, in a retreat-like atmosphere, to mull over these larger issues, as well as to learn and to do new things.
Our group shared meals and other activities, and together we did our small part to build a better world, both with respect to the specific task of revitalization of Abenaki language and culture as well as to the wider issue of increasing diverse understandings of the planet on which we live.
I 💖 your analysis of the true division, and look forward to hearing more about your immersive Abenaki experience (which sounds awesome).