Are you a routine person? Are you the type who feels secure when everything happens predictably and at a certain rhythm?
I am to a certain extent. I get up and go to bed at approximately the same time every day, I absolutely like my cup of tea first thing in the morning, and I prefer work that I'm actually good at.
It's back to school time, and my wife and I are looking forward to welcoming a new group of Global Studies students. One of the requirements of this course, which we designed ourselves a few years ago, is a certain number of what we call field hours.
Field hours are local experiences that take them not only outside their normal routine, but more importantly, outside their zone of familiarity. You might also call it their comfort zone, as most of these experiences are; but every now and then you choose to do something new to you and it turns out to be made for you and you're just now experiencing it.
The idea here is to get these predominantly white, middle class students to interact with people from other cultures and ethnicities. Our city is home to dozens of ethnic groups from all over the world, and there is no shortage of eateries that showcase these cultures in a delectable way.
But not all these cultures are foreign. For example, a number of times we have taken the students for a ride on the city bus to a black-run Nashville hot chicken restaurant. For many if not most of them, this is their first ride on a city bus, whose riders are almost always majority people of color. Yes, some of the students felt uncomfortable. This is not a bad thing.
Is it time for you to step outside your zone of familiarity in some way? Is there a challenge waiting for you that you know will be enlightening and enriching at the same time?