The More We Understand Each Other
Tina Gilson
August 21, 2025
I recently met a professor of Cultural Anthropology from a university in California. She was vacationing in the area and spoke with me about a research project she was doing, and she was looking for people to interview to share their opinions about current issues. The topics included immigration, government social assistance programs and related topics. The people being interviewed didn’t need any special knowledge or education in these areas, nor did they have to belong to one side of the political spectrum or another. She simply wanted to speak with anyone willing to offer their thoughts and opinions.
I agreed to meet with her for an interview, which was supposed to be about 90 minutes long. We ended up talking for a solid two hours, and could have gone longer if she didn’t have other obligations. Some of the interview was giving her some background and demographic information on myself, then the main part of giving her my perspective on the topics she was looking to include in her research.
One of the things that came up and has stuck with me since then was the idea of traveling. Not traveling just for the sake of pleasure, but for other benefits we can derive from it. Having traveled not only to many parts of my own country, but to other parts of the world, I realized how much we can learn about others and the world at large.
America is a relatively young country, globally speaking. When traveling to Europe, for example, the energy and feel are incredibly different than it is here. The language, the food, the buildings, the way of life…so much is similar and yet so dissimilar at the same time. You get a sense of how old these places are, how very different the culture can be, but also how beautiful.
While discussing this, I began to think about how going to other places and meeting people who live differently than we do could help us heal and unite, broker some peace and connection. We do not have to choose to live the same way others do, we do not have to agree with all of their choices, but fostering understanding of other people, who they are, why they do the things they do, and where they come from can serve us all if we allow it to.
Not everyone can afford a European vacation. Not everyone will live in another country. In this day and age, however, we can have immediate access to other cultures at our fingertips. YouTube or social media platforms are full of vloggers who explore the world not just for pleasure, but for education and connection. You can virtually visit other states, other countries, other continents without spending a dime.
I strongly encourage travelers or those exploring online to absorb as much as they can from the locals, supporting their personal growth and understanding. The more we understand each other, the better our world will be.
Sacred Spirit Wellness is located at The Healing Hive, 21 Barton Street in Bradford, VT. They can be reached via email at sacredspiritwellness1@gmail.com, on their Facebook page or www.sacredspiritwellness.com
I agreed to meet with her for an interview, which was supposed to be about 90 minutes long. We ended up talking for a solid two hours, and could have gone longer if she didn’t have other obligations. Some of the interview was giving her some background and demographic information on myself, then the main part of giving her my perspective on the topics she was looking to include in her research.
One of the things that came up and has stuck with me since then was the idea of traveling. Not traveling just for the sake of pleasure, but for other benefits we can derive from it. Having traveled not only to many parts of my own country, but to other parts of the world, I realized how much we can learn about others and the world at large.
America is a relatively young country, globally speaking. When traveling to Europe, for example, the energy and feel are incredibly different than it is here. The language, the food, the buildings, the way of life…so much is similar and yet so dissimilar at the same time. You get a sense of how old these places are, how very different the culture can be, but also how beautiful.
While discussing this, I began to think about how going to other places and meeting people who live differently than we do could help us heal and unite, broker some peace and connection. We do not have to choose to live the same way others do, we do not have to agree with all of their choices, but fostering understanding of other people, who they are, why they do the things they do, and where they come from can serve us all if we allow it to.
Not everyone can afford a European vacation. Not everyone will live in another country. In this day and age, however, we can have immediate access to other cultures at our fingertips. YouTube or social media platforms are full of vloggers who explore the world not just for pleasure, but for education and connection. You can virtually visit other states, other countries, other continents without spending a dime.
I strongly encourage travelers or those exploring online to absorb as much as they can from the locals, supporting their personal growth and understanding. The more we understand each other, the better our world will be.
Sacred Spirit Wellness is located at The Healing Hive, 21 Barton Street in Bradford, VT. They can be reached via email at sacredspiritwellness1@gmail.com, on their Facebook page or www.sacredspiritwellness.com
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