I need to live into a culture that seeks to connect with people from any generation, including any walk of life, ethnicity, race, age, gender, culture, sexual orientation, social status, etc. This is at least what I have thought of so far as being the focus in doing IM. There is more to it of course, but I stopped for a moment to reflect on this "mission statement" of IM, thinking about the usage of "from."
What follows may simply be me looking too far into something: Of course people come "from" somewhere, something, someplace, and some particular people. I am not questioning the assumed background of people. What I am pondering is the presumption that people will come "to" a relationship and culture with me "from" who they already are and where they currently are.
I believe that IM is a going out "to" people who are not in the same generation as me, regardless of what generation I am in. I believe that it is living out a culture within myself to others that connects with them in relationship to where they are at now. What do you think?
Another thing is that no matter what generation I am in, I am responsible for this going out to people of other generations. I think that it is hard for younger generations to reach out to and engage with older ones. It may also be hard for older generations to reach out, especially if there is are unspoken expectations for the older generation to do so and to lead in this. I believe that no matter who we are or where we are coming from or going, if we want to properly participate in IM, we need to be the ones initiating and fostering the culture of connecting with others unlike us. What do you think?
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