"Us" and "Them"

I had the opportunity to listen to this astounding speaker last weekend.  Seeing him approach the podium, his age made known by the wrinkles and graying hair, I thought I’d have to struggle to keep my eyes open.  I was entirely wrong. 

 It was amazing listening to this man.  There was so much passion behind his words, and you could tell he was speaking from the heart of a man where only wisdom and experience reside.  But he spoke about a concept that I know is familiar to everyone.

He talked about “Us” and “Them”.  “Those” people in that town are not like or associated with “Us”.  They dress differently and talk differently, and so they are not like us in any way.  Those people are from another state or country; they are not us. 

I know we’ve all thought this way before.  It’s a natural thought, and one that deserves attention.  I fell into this thought process not 4 weeks ago when I moved to Maryland.  I, being from Wisconsin, was not a Maryland resident.   Everyone I met was “different”; they weren’t like me. 

Yet, now that I’ve been here a month, I associate myself with Maryland.  “Hi.  I’m Sarah, and a proud resident of Maryland!  I smile when I see crab on a menu and I have a small place in my heart for the Oriole’s”.  Okay, I don’t say these things out loud, but I think them.  I feel like I am a small part, but a part nonetheless, of MD.  I now tell others that I am one of “them”.   But what changed my mindset?  Is it just because I’m now living in their state?  I guess.  When you think about it, though, the only thing that really sets me apart is my accent.  The people in MD still eat and breathe like the people in WI.  They work, go to church, and have parties just like the people in WI.  I now wonder why I separated them into different categories. 

It’s weird how we distinguish between “us” and “them”.  We don’t associate people or things with “us” until we experience them, until they are a part of our everyday lives.  3 months ago I never associated the people of MD with myself, and yet here I am now.  The same is true for the people from Oregon or India.  I don’t associate them with myself…..right now.  But that’s not to say I won’t someday. 

We get caught up in who we are with and who we are connected to.  In reality, we’re connected to everyone in some small way or another.  We may never go certain places or meet certain people, but we are connected.  Think about the situations you find yourself in.  Try to look past “them”, the judgment and preconceived notions.  

You never know when “they” could turn into “us”.