Are you living the diversity you preach?

Every Labour Day my husband and I host a BBQ. We invite family and friends and are delighted that people want to gather with us. We have always had a fairly diverse group of people that we know, and many are actively in our lives and choose to “break bread” with us. As a DEI and Social Justice? Advocate, I began to ask myself, how much of what I advocate for in DEI and social justice is truly a part of my life? Am I walking the walk and not just talking the talk and using all the right words?

It occurred to me that many posts on LinkedIn and other sites, seem to say the right things, but are we really living the DEI that we teach and preach? This has become more of an issue for me? as I have challenged many on social media exposing platitudes and generalities without substance. It is clear that there is a disconnect,? but I was wondering what was that? disconnect.

So, on Labour Day, as friends were gathering, I typically take a picture of the food I have prepared and make a statement about the holiday and post on social media. However, the group of friends gathered this Labour Day caught my attention. Our friends of 12 people represented? 7 countries and 3 continents and over 12-14 languages and? dialects, other than English, were spoken.

It occurred to me that our circles of influence, our circle of friends has widened and goes beyond the typical “ I know him, her, or them”because we work together or have sat on boards or commissions. I know people and are connected to them through one of the more intimate part of our lives. We have invited people to our home and prepared food with the sole purpose of connecting as humans. No work, project, or political agendas, but just simply to be friends. I, along with other DEI advocates, have written a great deal about inclusiveness, belonging, and equity. I began to think about how many of us are living DEI in our lives.

When I was a practicing medical provider, I counseled many clients about diet and exercise. One day a client asked me what I was doing to maintain my health and what, if any, exercise was I doing. I left the exam room, went to my office and returned with my bicycle. I then spoke about my diet/foods , not perfect, but increasingly healthy in a direction that I can sustain. So, it’s not enough to know about something and write about it,? but how much of this is actually a part of our lives. This allows us to be connected in a way that is not only a part of our lives and not just something we do Monday - Friday.

It is an act of curiosity and humaneness to say hello and to get to know someone that does not look like you, It is also a risk. Isms, history, and stereotypes have to be put aside to do this, and not just in our work lives because we have to, but in our private lives because we want to.

FRIENDS ARE THE PEOPLE WHO MAKE YOU SMILE BRIGHTER, LAUGH LOUDER

AND LIVE BETTER. Author unknown...