Growing Up, Understanding, Respect, and Cultural Relativism

^ Oh, up there? The title? That might SEEM like a big, jumbled up stream of words, but that's kind of like a map of where my stream of consciousness took me when I sat down to write this blog. Looking back, it's amazing how much I've grown up in the past couple of months. I'm so incredibly proud of who I've become as a person.

First of all, I have developed a whole new understanding and, therefore, respect for ANYONE with a college degree. I'm definitely not saying that you have to have a college degree in order for me to respect you, college isn't for everyone and you can be very successful without ever setting foot on a college campus and I know that, but looking at someone who already has that piece of paper that I'm working my butt off for right now just leaves me amazed. I'm not saying I don't like college. I like learning, and I always have, I've just never had to work this hard for it. I don't mind, I really don't, it just takes some adjustment. College is an amazing experience, and I am SO lucky to have this opportunity.

Thinking about all of that respect and understanding led to a little, baby epiphany in my head. Why can't we understand things without experiencing them? AND, if it's impossible to develop a true understanding of something without experiencing it, why are we, as human beings, not going out of our way to experience anything and everything that we possibly can? Is it possible that, through experiencing cultural events first hand, we could erase ethnocentrism and racism and replace it with cultural relativism? Just food for thought. Also, by the way, I would like to give a special thanks to college for providing me with the words I needed to put together this post. COLLEGE gave my thoughts meaning.