Now some point a finger and let ignorance linger
If they’d look in the mirror they’d find.
That ever since the beginning to keep the world spinning
It takes all kinds of kinds.*
For most of my life, I stuck with my kind of people. Do you know what I mean? I hung out with people with similar socioeconomic and educational backgrounds; similar religious and political views; people with whom I thought I had the most in common.
When I was around folks who saw the world too differently from me, I would tend to become wary of conflict or feel a peculiar need to proselytize (I’m not just talking religion, it could be anything on the list of life events). I felt safe in alikedness.
I’ve always heard: People are the same everywhere. I used to believe that. Not anymore. And more importantly, why would we want them to be?
7 years ago, I left my lifelong Midwest residency for a job in Oregon, then California, then back to Oregon and now, for the past 3 years, I’ve been buried deep in southern Texas. I learned real quickly that living and working in a place isn’t at all like passing through on vacation. I’ve been blessed to do a lot of traveling, and as a tourist, I’ve loved being an observer. But when you live and work with people, you don’t just observe – you participate whether it’s sand dollars and starfish or javelinas and jalapenos!
With every relocation, I’ve been introduced to new ways of understanding a well turned phrase. Each move has brought people into my life with whom I’ve had seemingly little in common but oh, what they’ve taught me by helping me see our world through their eyes.
One of the things I’ve discovered through these adventures is that people are not the same everywhere. There are lots of common traits: goodness, kindness, compassion, meanness, arrogance, selfishness. But by and large, we’re regional thinkers. It goes way beyond food and fashion and accents. Different places plant different kinds of thoughts in folks. Usually, not always, the thinking grows and spreads.
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/differences.html#5ezY7OKPMcgtqo5p.99
I’ve found people in the Midwest to be different from people on the West coast who are different from folks down here in the South.
That’s kind of great!
I’ve learned so much from people who aren’t my kind. The friends I’ve made, and the diverse groups I’ve broken bread with, have taught me to value our differences instead of feeling the need to conform myself or to reform/inform others.
I’ve certainly learned that it takes all kinds of kinds. I know some of you aren’t big country music fans, but would you take a couple of minutes to watch this video anyway? I didn’t add it as filler. It’s more of a visual philosophy.
*Lyric by Don Henry
After 7 years on the road and 3 years in the oil field, I’ve met a lot of kinds of kinds.
If it were practical and possible, I’d recommend everyone uproot (even if only for a year or two) and plant themselves in an entirely different region to live and work with people they don’t think are their kind. We have remarkable things to learn from each other!
It’s been a long time since I’ve written here at Fork. Our Deep in the Heart of Texas, a long way from nowhere, gate guarding Internet has been nominal on good days. It’s still hit and miss but I’ve decided to post more often on the hit days.
I’m writing again, in part, because I’ve learned so much from all of you and y’all are one diverse bunch! To quote John Denver (yes, I’m equally surprised at the attribution – case in point):
I believe that we are here for each other, not against each other. Everything comes from an understanding that you are a gift in my life – whoever you are, whatever our differences.
Thank you for the gift! It does take all kinds of kinds!
FORK IN THE ROAD 
For what it’s worth.
I wish we would hear that more often from the front. After all, where do I fit in the large body of Christ?
Waiting expectantly for your next post. You okay?
Missing your blogs, especially your thoughtfulness and your humor. Did deep-in-the-heart (or is that heat?) of South Texas swallow you whole?
It’s nice to see you getting your game back!
You’re not lost after all! ;D
So, so glad to read your post again. You have been missed! We are back in the Whittset area. Had heard this song before & agree. Good thing we’re not all alike, what a sad thing if we were all the same, glad it takes all kinds of kinds…
Hi Lynn!
So fun to hear from you!
It would be sad indeed.
Wishing you well in Whitsett! (The lady in the PO in Peggy is a gem!)
So good to read your thoughts and words again! You bless us and help us see that the differences are important and necessary! I’ve been in one area all my life and have traveled very little, so have to wait on God to send people to me. :). I remember our oldest daughter’s surprise when she went to CA and people told her she had a southern drawl. ..and she’d only lived in IL. Haha!
Thank you for being all of our kind of girl!
I’ll be back to listen to the song with Aubrey.
Deb –
You got me! Yes, sometimes we move out into the world and sometimes God brings bits of the world to us through others.
How funny that the CA folks thought your daughter had a drawl!
Everyone down here talks about our accents.
Midwesterns have, in my opinion, the least colorful/interesting speech patterns of anyone.
News anchors are taught to talk like they’re from the Midwest because we don’t sound like we’re from anywhere!
I hope Aub liked the song.
You’re like the last guy in the video! That kind of kind. 😀
I must say Thank You first, so good to hear from you again, my husband and I have both missed your posts! Now to your point here, you are so right, and we can all learn so much from one another, if we allow our minds, hearts and souls to be open and listen, and at the same time give to another the same! We also spent some time in the oil fields of south Texas and more than likely will be doing it again this spring, but we enjoyed our time, and with all of our travels we being from the northeast, and then the southeast, have learned that people living else where in this country of ours think, live, do, believe, drive, talk, and accent not like us! But that is what makes us who we are! Now being back in the southeast, I have had to get on my husband for putting down the East Coast people for being who they are. ( and also reminding him that in case he forgot he too is from the east coast).
Carolyn –
First, let me say it is ALWAYS a pleasure to see your name pop up on my screen!
I guess your husband illustrates the saying that “you can’t go home again”! 😀
I think our world view is expanded (or has the potential to be) when we spend significant time in different places.
Back home may still look/be sweet – but it’s a different sweetness.
Thank you for patiently waiting and reading, even when it’s months between posts.
Great insights Debbie! As usual😄
We are on our way to Phoenix & then Las Vegas. The trial is scheduled for late February.
Yes, being where you are is a world unto itself. Lots of good, hard working folks who, like you, are from all over the country.
Hello Vicki!
We miss y’all down here.
Sure sounds like next month will be one long month. I’ll be so glad for you when it’s all over.
This is a very unusual world down here, isn’t it? It’s a culture unto itself! ;D
You’re brilliant! This post is now one of my favorites. To anyone who skipped the song, I challenge you to reconsider. Listen for the political humor! I love this one. Thanks, Debbie.
Heidi HO –
You crack me up!
So great
to get up at 1am and see you are back. It certainly does take all kinds. Thank goodness we are all so different it makes an interesting world. We have great internet now in Helena after 6 weeks without it over in Tilden area.
Oh hello, Linley!
Heidi and I were just talking about all the help you and John were to us! Thank you!
We started our gate guarding career on a huge hunting ranch just outside of Tilden.
We went through 3 phone companies in 3 weeks just trying to get a phone signal.
We never did get any Internet signal – even with a booster – so we drove to the McDonalds in Pleasanton to get on line and pay bills.
Funny that you went from remote to a ghost town. 😀
I love the cemetery there – and the hanging tree!
Helena is certainly a town with some interesting history!
Thank you for your posts and am glad you are writing again. We have been on the road for 2 years in New Mexico then Texas then Kansas and back in Texas. We are also security on the oil field near Cotulla Texas
You have some very good thoughts, yes we can get along with others. We are having a ball doing this work and seeing and getting to know different people doing this. Made many many new friends. Keep up the good work!
Ps we are from northern Minnesota and left to get away from the cold.
Well Howdy Jeff!
This has certainly been a good month NOT to be in MN!
Sooo… do the guys often think you’re from Canada? (happens a lot to Heidi)
My roots are in southern Indiana so I can y’all right along with the best of them, but Heidi spent her summers in Minnesota and the tireder she gets the more northern she sounds!
I love hearing from people who love what they do.
Your comments make smile. 😀
Thanks so much for writing!
Deep thoughts. As always such a joy to read your insights.
It definitely takes all kinds to make the world go round! One certainly finds that out after working in the oil fields, for a while.
Hi Marie!
The oil field is it’s own peculiar world, isn’t it?! 😀
It’s always a pleasure to see you here. Thank you!
Great post! Loved the video.
Thanks, Penny!
Great song and post! Yes, time in other countries and the visitors to my house brought a lot of understanding to differences and celebrating them. My B-I-L would look great with that hair too!
dear judi –
I thought of you and all your experiences when I was writing this.
You’re such a lovely example of one who lived WITH, not just IN, another culture and were enriched and changed by it.
You must have a very colorful B-I-L!
I took the picture of this great guy at the Alaska State Fair.
How could you look at someone with that much panache and not just love it?!
My sister is very colorful…B-I-L has a fabulous beard – he did let me braid it – I don’t know that he would allow all the color. 😀
Nice my friend and it sure does all kinds of kinds!!! Heart hugs 🙂
Sue – When we met I was the Totally Messed Up Kind and still you gave me the gift of your unconditional love and friendship. I’m forever grateful! Heart Hugs right back at you!
Glad to have you back, dear heart! So true about regional differences. Here in Jersey, there are so many different dialects we often have trouble deciphering each other. We’ve got crazy made-up words nobody else would know, like “mook” and “hinky.” We also tend to disregard given names and craft funky nicknames. For example, we would call you Debs, Debbers, Debutante, etc. And my name is often Ruthie, Rooty, RuthAnn (even though my middle name is Helen), Reds (cuz o’ my hair color), and occasionally, Blue. It really does take all kinds! 🙂
Well hey there Reds Ruthie Rooty!
Yes, my friend, it does take all kinds!
I’ve been called a lot of things but never a debutante! 😀
I wonder if my grand kids sound like Jersey yet? The thought makes me smile.
You may have to translate for me someday!
Having lived in 3 areas–Midwest, TX, and NW–my observation is that the main difference is in how people define and live conventions. What is “polite manners” in one area, can be viewed as unnecessary in another; and similarly, what is “doing the right thing”–though that one can get murkier, depending on local legalities. Just my 2 cents. God bless you BIG.
dear Caddo –
Manners – now that’s an interesting angle.
In the Midwest, if a man you weren’t married to called you “Baby” or “Sweet Cakes” etc… they might need to duck!
Down here, terms of endearment are so common that if you meet twice and nothing sweet is said, it may be that they don’t much care for you.:D
When it comes to “doing the right thing”, I think the biggest danger is when we/I try to set someone else’s moral compass – regardless of geography.
Great points. Thank you.
God bless you BIG too, my friend.
Terms of Affection are definitely tricky. Even on the blogs–my initial insistence on being everyone’s sister was sometimes repellant to folks, so in 2014 I’ll be backing off a bit.
Lovely commentary on it takes all kinds of kinds. You are a wise woman, Debbie, and I am glad that you are writing/posting again. Thank you.
Thank you, Karla!
Thank you for sharing your heart and home and wisdom with me at a time when I was the most lost.