"I think there's just one kind of folks. Folks."

I love the way books influence your thinking. As Harper Lee, author of the above quote, also said:

"The book to read is not the one which thinks for you, but the one which makes you think. No book in the world equals the Bible for that."

The scriptures are the best source for the growth and intelligence and humanity of individuals; I share that opinion with Harper Lee. However, it is by no means the only book that can help us to grow and learn. I am learning a lot at the moment by reading 'The Poisonwood Bible' by Barbara Kingsolver. I can not recommend it highly enough.

It is giving me contrasting feelings to the quote in my title. It is teaching me instead about differences. Difference in culture, faith, understanding, perspective and experience of life. It is taking me for a walk in the shoes of other people.

It begins in 1959 Congo. The Price family at first have no understanding of the village and the people and their apparently strange ways, beliefs and values. Do the family become part of the society there? Do they blend right in? Do they share cultures and learn to respect and value one another?

At the moment, the answers thus far in the book to all of the above are 'No'... though, the answer to the last is a little more complex than that. They have some cross-over. They develop some level of mutual understanding. But, it is more a mutual tolerance. The Price family of Georgia have very little common ground with the Congolese. So, I have to refer back to the title of this blog; a quote from Harper Lee's 'To Kill a Mockingbird'- a favourite of mine- to pose this question: Are there really just one kind of folks?

When I read 'To Kill a Mockingbird', I was sure that Scout was right. We are all the same. We are one collective human family with rights and responsibilities to treat each other equally and fairly and to expect the same in return. In Harper Lee's book, all that Atticus Finch wants is for Tom Robinson to be treated the same as any other man; regardless of race or any other thing that makes him different from the jurors. I cannot praise fictional hero Atticus Finch enough- he stood up for equality. I'm sure that most sane people would agree with this idea that human beings are of infinite worth and value. I would hate to feel discriminated against for where I live, who I am, what gender I am... There is really no place for it in this world. There is no reason for it because there is no hierarchy. No one is better. But, I have to put forward the opinion that we are, none of us, the same. You cannot stereotype people; but you do have to understand that views on life are different. What is a necessity to one is not a necessity to someone else.

All men are equal; it is not their birth,

But virtue itself that makes the difference.

Life often seems like it has been unfair to some people. I can't argue otherwise. There are people who are born in terrifying poverty in countries where there is little medical help, an unsympathetic and corrupt government and a life expectancy of around 40 years. I am not suggesting for a moment that that is ok. It's not and we should seek to change that. If it is within our ability to make a positive difference, we should try. However, people are not the same and we should never seek to provide the solution we think is the right one; imposing our view on others who probably know a lot more about the land that they live in and the circumstances they face than we do. We can learn from people who have a different experience of life to us... as long as we realise that judgement is out of the question.

I think sometimes we grow so proud of our 'civilisation'. We can instantly contact people all over the world; we can eradicate disease with our advances in vaccinations; we can go to the moon if we want! We can go to the supermarket and pick off the shelf food that has been grown, cleaned, packaged and transported from all over the world just to end up on our plates and fill our tummies. I doubt we ever really think twice about it.

I am saying all of this as though we have it all. We certainly think we do. But sometimes I wonder if these conveniences and amusements mean that we miss out on the true joy and purpose of life.

There is something amazing about planting something and watching it grow. How helpless we would all be if we were transported to a place where we have to provide our own food! Isn't it sad that the skills to do so are dying out of the 'More Economically Developed' population? We do not rely on our own hands- and we do not rely on our neighbours, either. The community we have within our place of residence is only apparent if we make a conscious effort to create it. It may be nice to have a reliance on each other again; to go to your neighbour because he is good with wood carving instead of knowing you can go and grab a table down at Ikea.

I love the life I live. I am happy with it and satisfied. I love the opportunities I get because of the direction our society has moved in. I, a female member of the petite-bourgeoisie, am studying Medicine at University. I can vote. I have the freedom to worship God in the way that I choose to. I am blessed.

However, the same opportunity offered to someone of a different culture or background and life experience could be totally undesirable. My life is not theirs. We are all different. I don't want the world to be a place where everyone is given the same. I want the world to be a place where the needs and values of individuals are looked after; whether they are understood or not.

Think for yourselves

and let others enjoy the privilege to do so too."

I know I will never walk in the same shoes as a man. So I will never truly understand men. I can say the same about an African, Indian, a Liverpudlian or simply an older person whose generation will never be mine. The most important thing is that we love each other. Whether we understand each other or not.

I have long since been of the opinion that people's brains do not function the same way. You may have been brought up in the same location, school, socio-economic class, family environment; but there is something in our natures that makes us different. I laugh at the differences sometimes when to me it looks like a person is not seeing the big picture; but I'm sure my thoughts are as foreign to them as them to mine. Equally, there are people you click instantly with and you feel, despite differences in life experience, that you are of the same mould as them.

Life is varied and wonderful. There's not 'one kind of folks'; there are nearly 7 billion kinds of folks... and we get to enjoy the personalities and quirks of each one that we meet. :)