I was reminded of an interesting aphorism this evening: "A Fish Doesn’t Know It’s In Water". The speaker who brought up that anonymous wisdom statement was not speaking to us about a specific fish's lack of awareness about its environment; instead, she was alluding to the blind spots we humans have to our own biases and norms. Her point was that our own unconscious patterns of behavior and unexamined expectations categorize those we encounter as familiar or not, mindlessly dividing them into camps of privilege and poverty based not on their merits but on whether or not they reflect ours!
If our behaviors are as common as she suggested ( and I believe they are) how are we to remedy the situation so that the individuals we encounter and mentor can be seen as who they really are and be nurtured towards a future which views them with equity and values them for their own identity and worth?
That is something I'll think about tonight and address tomorrow...
