Diversity can mean a lot of different things. Hiring a diverse group of people.  Learning to like different foods.  Embracing different cultures.  Choosing an unusual set of rules to solve problems.  It can also mean developing a new way to think.  Due to some recent traveling, I have been lucky enough to learn a new way to think on a number of different fronts and it has been a direct result of my exposure to diversity.  Thankfully.   

I started tweeting consistently a few years ago and have enjoyed the information share and getting to know people I never would have met otherwise.  I can honestly say that some of my closest friends are people and colleagues I have met on Twitter.  Its global reach and searchability have helped me align with certain individuals with similar interests.  Two such friends I had an opportunity to meet again this week while I have been on business in London.  I also shook the hand of a new friend, whom I have been following online for a while but finally had a chance to meet in person and spend some time.  Lucky for me, I have been stationed only a couple desks away from her for the last two weeks; she is a colleague and has taken to Twitter like a lizard to a hot rock.  She loves it and has used it quite successfully in her work.

But this evening I said goodbye to her as her business took her to the Netherlands and I will be departing London prior to her return.  Interestingly enough, I will miss her, though I have only “officially” known her for two weeks.  She has been a good friend and it is good to add to those coffers.  As I hugged her goodbye at the underground station, she said, “At least we have Twitter…” We both laughed and walked our separate ways.  It felt like an updated version of Casablanca or something, a modern twist to an old classic.

Ten years ago, I never would have guessed that I would learn about relaxation on a South Seas isle nor would I have thought I would be working in London every now and again.  The changes that life presents can surprise and enlighten us.  I have been exposed to diversity and it has been one of my life’s greatest lessons.  I am shocked by how little I knew about the world outside of my little space.  I am happy at this realization as admission is a step away from ignorance.

Here’s an interesting thought that makes absolute sense.  I used to think that the UK and Europe was global and to me, it is representative of global.  But to my friends here in the UK, my home represents globility.  Sometimes, you just need to step outside of yourself and your personal location.  You see, it is all about perspective; point of view is everything. 

by rayannethorn