Angelia Vernon Menchan

Angelia Vernon Menchan is an author, publisher and public speaker who owns two publishing companies, MAMM Productions and Honorable Menchan Media. Mrs. Menchan is also a Budget Officer and former Job Corps Counselor. To date she has published twenty-three books of her own work, both fiction and non-fiction and more than eighty ebook novellas on amazon.com. You can access her bibliography on www.amazon.com search words: Angelia Vernon Menchan




Contact information:
Website: http://acvermen.blogspot.com
Email: acvermen@yahoo.com
Phone numbers: 904 714 2272 904 303 2679

Monday, April 18, 2011

IF THEY ARE ALL LIKE YOU?

I love talking to people about relationships and the like, especially friendships. I am always fascinated by people whose friends are all just like them. If they are rich, their friends are rich, if they are black, all their friends are black, if they are…well you feel me.

Personally, I feel we grow best when we spend time with people who make us think, stretch our awareness. I love sitting at the feet of my elders, soaking up their wisdom. I also, love chatting it up with 20 somethings and listening to their new and innovative, sometimes startling views of things. And at any time you are going to see me talking to the kids, sharing something with them and learning something from them.

I also like to talk to people who aren’t considered to be in my ‘circle’. And mind you I say this very tongue in cheek because I really don’t have a circle. What I mean by this is for me to engage a person doesn’t have to be black, female, middle class, live in a certain place, vote or think the way I do. They do have to make sense and be open-minded. I honestly feel that if we don’t surround ourselves with people who have more or know more, how will we learn? And if we don’t have people in our lives who have less or know as much, who can we assist or inspire?

I remember years ago a woman telling me that she wanted her son to marry someone who had equal or had more than him. I asked her how would she feel if her son fell in love with someone who had more than him and that person didn’t want him because he had less. She looked at me with complete puzzlement as if it had never occurred to her that her son could possibly be snubbed by someone in the same way she was asking him to snub someone. Funny, no?

Of course I am not talking about hanging out with people who will harm you or others. What I am saying that true diversity means being open to and acceptable of all people regardless of the socio-economic backgrounds, or ethnicity. Because everything that glitters ain’t gold and something that might look tarnished may be a real jewel. I see so many marriages where the woman was looking for money and the man for honey and several months in they realize they have nothing in common, especially if the money is spent, or the honey dried up.

All I am saying is that if all your friends drive the same kind of car, or wear the same kind of clothes or are the same complexion or ethnicity, et al, you might be missing out on some really cool people or some extraordinary opportunities to grow or give….

But surely I don’t know…

Angelia
www.angeliamenchan.com

5 comments:

Shelia G said...

We are thinking along the same lines. I just had a conversation yestrday about not having what I call "cookie cutter" friends. Another thing I discussed was that a friend shouldn't end a friendship just because your viewpoint may be different than theirs. We're individuals and we're not going to always agree.

Threadin'Along said...

I love to use a garden as my example. If all the plants in the garden are daisies or tulips you are missing out on so much other flower you could be enjoying. But too often we say in our comfort zone afraid of the unknown.

Dera Williams said...

Good points. Your world is more expanded by fraternizing with people who are not like you. That doesn't me you have to be all up in their faces 24/7; I don't want anybody up under me anyway. LOL

When I started working at the college, I met Eve, an elderly WHITE South African Political Science professor. Immediately, my hackeles went up. White South African? Why those people practice apartheid and they marginalize blacks. She turned out to be one of my favorite people and we spent many hours talking about literature, perceptions, people, places and things. She died about three years ago and I still miss our conversations.

Linda Chavis said...

Word!!

'Cilla said...

Love your articles/commentaries. I've been away from them for too long.

I always believed that there is a time and season for certain friendships. You grow with them, learn from/with them and then it's time to expand on your friends.