This I Believe: The Importance of Community

This week my blog will take on a bit of a different style, formatted after the ever growing “This I Believe” website phenomena. This site has become an open arena for all types of individuals to express their feelings and beliefs about anything and everything. In their exploration of finding some purpose or deep understanding for the complex system in which we live, they discuss issues from a belief in god to childhood memories.

I believe in the idea of a strong sense of community. By making connections with other individuals and forming close-net groups based on common interests we can allow ourselves to grow, thrive, and give back to society. There is a Chinese proverb that says, “one generation plants the trees; another gets the shade." A community could include family, friends, institutions such as colleges, or even social groups based on ideas such as moral beliefs. This broad scale idea is one that everyone can relate to and provides people with a sense of support, self-worth, and opportunity. The ties to community that led me to pursue studies in psychology, Spanish, and a career in the medical field began forming at a very early age and have shaped the person I am and the subjects that interest me. In my early interaction with community I was exposed to diversity, the academic world, and working with others towards a common goal. These, along with many other valuable experiences have led me on a very rewarding life path.

One of the earliest values I learned as a child was to always be accepting of others. Being a product of an interracial marriage, my mother being Caucasian and my dad African American, from day one I held a strong belief in equality. As Helen Keller stated in the early 1900’s, “the highest result of education is tolerance”. Growing up I always had a large assortment of friends from all different backgrounds. As time passed, and I realized this was not the truth for all people, I began to take on an even greater interest in those individuals and cultures that are different from my own. My acceptance of others cultivated into a concept so significant to me that it is now tattooed on my wrist saying “etwid” or “embrace that which is different”. I strongly believe that our diversity is our greatest asset, and this is what sparked my great love for the Spanish language and culture that is so rich and unique.

My fascination with the human body and the amazing technological advances the medical world has discovered was passed onto me by my uncle, who is a doctor and medical malpractice lawyer among numerous other professions. With the great support from my family and the deep connection I felt to the academic community, an educational experience that would adequately prepare me for a career in medicine became a top priority. As I have immersed myself in the beginning stages of this higher educational experience involving great amounts of medical school preparatory work, I have become more determined and intrigued. This later exposure has allowed me to extend my studies into the field of psychology, which I think will only make me a more knowledgeable and well-rounded person.

Being on a team in high school really made me understand the importance of others. Before this time, I often did not think of all the other players involved in any task. Just because someone may not be seen or the work they do might not be the final product, does not mean they are not a necessity. It is important for people to understand this concept of the whole only being as strong as its weakest link because this is the essence of community, and it affects our daily lives. When building a house, for example, there are many people involved besides the architects including contractors, landscapers, safety inspectors, not to mention all the those that are an integral part of the beginning stages of the process such as obtaining the materials such as granite for the counter-tops or wood for the floors. Without my community of family, friends, and school, I would not have learned all these amazing life lessons and would not be able to one day give back something to this world that has given me so much.