Do you ever purposely go outside your comfort zone?
I think we Americans don't like this. We don't like change - yet we embrace diversity (don't we?) and freedom of speech (unless its our new President) and "thought leaders" (recently I was criticized because I apparently wasn't acting like a thought leader). Ok - I'll take my sarcasm gloves off now.
If you look at my profile - clearly - I'm quite Anglo. But deep inside - I'm part soul sistah. I took my white self across the Bay to the Oakland Art & Soul Festival for some fine music (gospel, soul, and bits of funk, blues, jazz, and whatever else can be found in a 5 block radius around the City Center). Yes - I was the minority.... yes, I was one of a few to sit my self down to some classic black Gospel sounds. I went for the Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir - and got my gospel on with them. It was a fine day and I've never seen a happier group of people chillin together.
My own town on the Peninsula used to be quite a bit more soulful - I guess we scared our soul brothers and sisters away. I felt quite welcome in Oakland and I highly suggest you step outside your comfort zone - try some new foods - risk being stared at as the only (insert your oddities) in town. Represent yourself in a new place. You won't be strange for long... and just as I learned in Italy a few years back - maybe pack it up before dusk just in case.
What the heck...
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