Look for the Light!

A friend of mine asked me: "So what did you find attractive in X? He did not seem to have been your "type."

I thought of my past "special relationships" and tried to form an image of what might have possibly been my "type."  I failed.

"I liked what I had sensed of X's spirit," I told my friend.

A video I had once seen (link available below) came to my mind. The video was of writer-photographer Karen Walrond  speaking before a TED-talk conference.

Here's my brief summary of what she said:

We connect with each other through what we find familiar. But if we restrict ourselves to only the familiar we stunt our growth and even contribute to societal ills like racism, sexism, homophobia, etc.  We are unable to relate to others because they don't vote, pray and love the way we do. They are different.

In our inability to resonate with others, we deny ourselves the power of diversity and the ability to build stronger communities based on different ideas and ideologies.

To find connection, we look for the light,  much like  photographers study light before taking a picture.  Light, which we all have and changes according to how we see it, illuminates our "beautiful different."  

Find the light in everyone and everything and especially in how we differ.

Link to Karen Walrond's TED event talk:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sauCsC9XUxY&feature=youtu.be

- ARIEL MURPHY