Imagine a world where we all fit the same mold; a place where we all wear the same clothing, style our hair in the same fashion, prepare the same meals, speak the same language, celebrate the same traditions and hold the same belief systems.  That world might be orderly, it might be harmonious – but there is a high likelihood that it wouldn’t be creative, rich with beauty, and most definitely not diverse.

In his book, Imagine: How Creativity Works, Johah Lehrer speaks about the necessity to cultivate the “outsider perspective” to promote creativity.  We can accomplish this by getting some distance from our comfortable daily lives through engaging in conversations with new people, trying a new cuisine and reflecting on how it tingles our senses, listening to a song outside our normal musical arsenal, parking in a different space when arriving at work, or traveling to a new part of the city, country or world.  All of these experiences contribute to mental flexibility that enhances our creative tendencies.  Every single one of us has the great capacity to be creative; however, we must be deliberate in our efforts to make it so.

Tomorrow evening, in the Almond multi, an opportunity to stretch and expand our perspectives arrives at our front door; the International Feast.  Several hundred of us will gather and bring a smorgasbord of meals for sampling.  Young Almond Eagles have been sharing with pride the dishes that they will contribute.  This night is not only about savory delights though, we also have a chance to learn about each other and participate in conversations with members of this amazing community who come from all over the country and world.

Did you know that more than 22 different languages are spoken in Almond family homes?  They include:  Arabic, Bengali, Cantonese, Dutch, English, Farsi (Persian), French, German, Hebrew, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin (Putonghua), Portuguese, Rumanian, Russian, Spanish, Taiwanese, Vietnamese and others not listed.

Did you know that of the 516 children currently enrolled there are over 29 different birth countries?  They include:  Australia, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, El Salvador, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Guatemala, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, South Korea, Mexico, Russia, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, United States, and Uzbekistan.  And that’s just where the kids were born.  I bet that count is higher when accounting for the birthplaces of parents.

I hope to see you tomorrow evening and look forward to learning more about you and the story that brought you to this place in your life.  Because of each of you, my life is more vibrant and abundant.  Thank you for that gift!