A stretched mind

'A mind once stretched has a difficult time going back to its original form.'

-Oliver Wendell Holmes

Think about it....
:)

Melting Pot vs Boiling Pot

America claims to be the melting pot of the world and in many ways, this is true as it probably has the most diverse population of any country on earth.

However, from my own personal experiences, it is more like a boiling pot and its boiling over! With speeches of hate, prejudice and fear of foreigners being sprouted on a daily basis by politicians, religious “leaders” and resentful individuals, these non-truths are being accepted by the ignorant and educated alike as the truth according to the bible! This American boiling pot has become full of bigotry and hypocrisy. Blame for everything from crime to poor education to job losses and to the high cost of medical coverage is pointed toward those who “are not like us”. Let’s blame all of society’s woes on the Mexicans, the Muslims, the Jews, the gays, the liberals, the blacks and the list goes on and on and on….. The finger is always pointed this way and that way and over there, too, but never in the mirror! Blame is directed not at individuals but at groups of people: The Mexicans are the cause of it or the Muslims are the cause of it… No, this is not a melting pot but a boiling pot where the boiling hot water is splashing over the edge of the pot and burning the hand that stirs it.

On the other hand, where I work at, over here in Germany, a large part of the 150 or so employees are “foreigners”. Myself included. I have co workers from around the world including countries such as America, Iran, Iraq, Russia, Bulgaria, Turkey, Romania, Poland, Africa, Spain and so on….

In the year or so that I have been here, I have yet to hear any racial slurs or hateful comments directed at a group of people. We may not like certain people, but it is directed at the individual, not at his race or place of birth. This is the way it should be (in this context). We will not get along with everyone, but there is a certain amount of respect. Respect not only for the person but respect for all the diverse nationalities at work here in my company. I take my hat off to the management who hired all the people here. Not only did they hire a diverse working force from around the world, but they also hired Germans, educated and non-educated alike, who have a proper view of, a healthy outlook toward and an acceptance of the foreigners amongst them.

To me, this is a true melting pot. It may only be a small firm in a small city, in this vast world (that is getting smaller by the day) of ours but Americans can learn from this cohesive atmosphere here in this firm in Germany. This melting pot has many ingredients mixed in but it’s not boiling over and the end result has a flavorful taste about it….that benefits and feeds all of mankind in its own, small way.

This American boiling pot is harmful, as well, to ones own spiritual well being, while, within my own melting pot, as I talk to and learn from my co-workers about their homelands, about how they do things in their countries, I feel a certain growth about me. A growth that cannot be described in words but is a feeling within me… a spiritual growth, perhaps, as I feel that I am becoming a better human being along my jouney…..

So, be weary of these so called “leaders” around the world who shout voices of hate, not for the good of mankind but for their own gains, into the wind for they are leading their “followers” down the wrong path. This deceitful path they are creating will stunt your spiritual growth and the negative karma will follow you with its due restitution. Turn your back to them, reject them and embrace the way of the good and the compassionate heart that is within you for it will set you free to continue advancing along your own path of power, your own path of spiritual growth that will lead you to the truth and true freedom.
:>)