Heritage....

One day when I was a student at St. Olaf College, we had a speaker attend chapel.  I can't remember what the occasion was, perhaps Syttende Mai, but the day was devoted to all things Norwegian, and the speaker was there to uphold the heritage. After chapel was over, a girl in the pew ahead of me, whom I did not know, turned to me with glowing eyes and joyful face and said, "Isn't it just wonderful to be Norwegian?  Such a great heritage!"

I paused for a moment, taken aback by her assumption that I was Norwegian (because I went to Olaf? I am not sure,) as well as sort of perplexed by her inordinate pride in the fact that she is.  I could, and probably should, have left it there, but being me, I could not resist saying, "I am not Norwegian.  I am Irish."  I saw the dismay, then the pity, flow across her face.  She clearly did not know how to handle the situation.  Then she blurted out, apparently in all sincerity, "Oh, I am so sorry."  With that, she rushed away, perhaps a little shaken by her interaction with someone who was not "like" her.

It was an interesting moment for me, one I remember in stark detail.  It was the first time in my life I was made to feel like an outsider because of something totally out of my control.  My heritage is not something I am ashamed of - I am proud to be Irish - and it shocked me that anyone would think otherwise.  It was a powerful lesson for me about how people automatically seek differences instead of similarities, and how divisive that can be.

That experience has informed my attitude and my actions throughout my life.  I see skin color and eye color and cultural background as part of the broader mosaic that makes up each individual, something to cherish and celebrate instead of divide and separate.  My cultural background does not define who I am, any more than being raised in a totally Norwegian home makes me Norwegian.  I can be proud of my Norwegian parents, while retaining my pride in being myself and the land where my ancestors called home.

I have traveled to many places in the world, and appreciated each experience for the unique opportunity it was.  Whether they live in a mud hut or a cement block dwelling or a home on a lake or in the mountains or plains, people are people.  They want the same things from life that I want.  They appreciate the same things that I do.  Cultural heritage shapes your view of the world, but it doesn't change who people are under the skin.  And God created each one of us as a masterpiece, separate, individual and special in our own right.

Today I am grateful for that college experience.  It opened my eyes to the beautiful cultural landscape around me, and gave me courage to be proud of who I am and where my background comes from.  We are all immigrants in this world - travelers in life, just passing through - on our way to eternity.

Happy St. Patrick's Day to all!  Celebrate your faith and your heritage, whether you are lucky enough to be Irish or not!