Greetings from Dongguan, China

You’re off to Great Places! Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting,  so…get on your way! – Dr. Seuss. Oh, The Places You’ll Go

I am writing to you from Dongguan, China, in the province of Guangdong, on the east coast of China – on the mainland.

I am here leading a team of teachers and students for five weeks teaching ESL classes to Chinese students. Needless to say, this is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. How could I pass it up?

So on this blog for the next few weeks, I will be sending you these postcards to share my reflections and insights about my stay here in China. Here’s the first takeaway I’d like to leave with you.

What separates us is not nearly as important than what unites us.

What I’ve learned is that too much time is devoted to what separates us – be it our political points of view, philosophies, religious beliefs, etc… we tend to categorize people and places based upon our own prejudices.  And in the process, we lose perspective.

Here I see just how small the world is – and what divides us is not as important as what unites us. We are all part of the human race.

The loving affection in a mothers eye as she holds her little girl or the father’s proud hand on the shoulder of his son is a universal language. It knows no boundaries.

I’ve been blessed to travel to many parts of the world and this is a universal observation.

The late Sam Walton once observed: “The bigger we get the smaller we have to think…” And while we need to think long, dream big, and pray hard…I hope the world and what truly matters will get smaller and become more in focus.

It’s when we realize that we have more in common we can begin to make the world a better place for everyone.

Until next time,

Doug