Thinking outside of the Box

This past Sunday I heard a sermon that encouraged people of Hamilton County (one of the top 10 richest counties in the country) to wander out of their suburbs, to forget about their wine-tasting parties and their nights at Broadway productions and to "think outside of the box."

Very cliche right? But yet very true.

I like walking into a bar and seeing people of different cultural backgrounds. People dressed completely differently. Some rocking the dance floor while others debating politics.

I like zipping through my grocery and noticing aisles titled 'Mexican' and 'spices,'
'Asian,' or 'imported brews' bustling with activity. I like hearing Harry Connick Jr and Mary J. Blige one after the other while I browse through a clothing store.

As you can see, I like the diversity. I like variety.

I was sad when our bartender at Houlihans told us that they don't serve the Tandoori Wrap anymore because no one orders it.

In his message on the Good Samaritan, the pastor stressed the importance of combating the fear of the unknown. He encouraged people to break the mould of the mundane in order to try something new.

I thought about this, about how it is so easy to fall into a confined routine. You know, the 9-5, the gym, dinner with the family, catch up with the news and watch your favorite show and then hit the sack. Five days a week of the same daily routine can really hinder that "spontaneity" and support that rigid mould.

I'm not scared of what's different or foreign or new. But I am scared of doing the same thing over and over. To surround myself with the same people and with the same daily duties is mediocre. The world is too large and beautiful of a place to limit oneself to a neighborhood.

So what's the point of this post? It's a reminder to myself and to whoever reads this, to head out and break some barriers. To make friends with someone completely different than myself. To eat food that sounds absolutely unappealing (that raw fish that they call Sushi). To try a new hobby and to learn about the struggles of someone else.

The world is shrinking, and I hear the phrase "it's such a small world," on a weekly basis. Diversity is always right around us. Even here in this rich white suburb, there are 15,000 people that fall below the poverty line. It's time to break that comfort zone and to start thinking outside of the box. Then, to the next level, and to act outside of it.