When I talk to people I am constantly translating.
First nations culture is different than my culture. Relationship is vital and time is not as important. I remember preaching at church services where start time was 1:30 – OK, more like 2:00, when everyone had arrived. Or talking with those in an Asian culture where community is first consulted and always in the back of your mind. Shame is placed on families, not just on the individual.
Imagine the time that is required to develop a deep relationship. Imagine the energy that must be consumed. Imagine the resources that must be available.
Now, imagine a culture that is similar to your own. Time, energy and resources are quickly allocated to other than mere understanding of each other. I think that was one of the reasons that my marriage to Jill was so successful. Yes, we had our differences, but I knew they were differences. I didn’t have to read between the lines or check out whether I was on the same page.
So, in courting this time around, I realized that a common culture would alleviate the time, energy and resources factor. After a few days of someone finishing your sentences and finding that mind reading seemed to be the order of the day, I became comfortable with exploring the future rather than spending all my time on mining the past.
Being over 5o, I am much more open to time being outside of chronology, of energy being focused and resources being well used.
Common culture is not a bad thing!!