Diversity

(Layout by Heidi Sonboul.)

In my neighborhood of Providence, Utah diversity is not a term that one hears often. It's not just the sea of fair-skinned, clean-cut, Scandinavian descendants. No, it goes much further.

Our streets are lined with similar looking ranch-style homes that feature similar floor plans. They are all a variation of taupe. Taupe is safe.

Even the landscaping is homogenous with the same shrubs interspersed with the same large rocks strategically placed throughout. This garden always starts at the driveway and follows the sidwalk up to the front door then around the side of the house. It's just the way it is.

In this vanilla world, it can be hard to teach kids about diversity. So, I have to brag about my kid Ethan for just a minute. You rarely see photos of this shy, young man who doesn't like the lime-light, and you hear even less. He's as quiet as a mouse!

So, I was surprised when his teacher emailed me and told me about this poem. He intentionally set it with the type justified left (my blog won't accommodate, so you'll have to imagine).

Diversity Means . . .

Diversity is being the black flag unwilling to soak in the colors of those around it.
To go left while those around you go right.
Unaffected by the passing of time.
Always being what it wants to be, a sturdy skyscraper under the winds of change.
Never swaying always unchanging. Tall and proud to be so.
A black stone amongst millions of similar white stones all almost exactly the same.
Never fearing to stand out, always on top of the pile. A black hole in the white.

Yep, I'm very proud of him!!!