Diversity

The other day at work we had a Diversity Luncheon. It was free. I went. I didn't really know what a Diversity Luncheon was supposed to be. My trailerpark-side-of-the-tracks thought processes mainly wondered if that was a fancy way of saying potluck. More to the point, little sausages and little meatballs. All of the posters for the event trumpeted that French Canadian cuisine would be enjoyed by all. I wasn't so sure about the promise. To be honest, I had no clue what French Canadian was in the food arena. But, whatever. It was free.

I got to thinking about diversity.

My knee-jerk reaction was to associate it with homosexual something or other. I really didn't want to have anything to do with even seeming like I was endorsing something I don't, so I almost didn't go. But free. . . . Temptation comes in many forms, aroma not the least. But I was stumped as to how French Canadian fit into that paradigm. French, maybe. But French Canadian sounded too Northwoodsy lumberjacky to me to go there. Besides, homogeneity and diversity don't mix.

I wondered what the big deal is about diversity anyway, to the point that we have special luncheons to highlight it. The corporate website has a whole section of pages devoted to illuminating the virtures of diversity and the importance of valuing diversity. I found there the corporate diversity policy with attendant diversity training sessions, as well as the annual diversity events calendar. Why is there a seeming fixation on the celebration of diversity? It's not like it's something new.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not down on diversity. I'm certainly not down on celebrating it--especially where free food is involved. What has me stymied is the depth and the vehemence of focus that it receives. After all, diversity is . . . well, basic. It's all around us all the time in everything. We live and breathe diversity. Diversity is undeniable in its ubiquitousness. Maybe the term has been weighed down with more freighted meaning than it was ever capable of holding.

Whatever happened to Unity? Is there a Unity Luncheon on the calendar? That's what I want to celebrate. I want to raise a meatball to that which brings us together, to shared convictions and passions, to common decency, to agreeing to disagree, to feeling each others hurts because life just hurts sometimes, to our humanity with all its foibles as we seek the greenful pasturage rest.