Celebrating Canada & Our Community – Anderson Connect

In this month that celebrates Canada, we take a look at what makes our country what it is, what makes it extraordinary, vibrant, a beautiful place to be … and that is You. The truly special aspect of living in our country, is the wide and unique range of people who’ve come to call this place home. Our diverse array of cultures, backgrounds, beliefs, and dreams and how they dazzle the streets and spaces of our communities, and the halls and classrooms of our Anderson College, enrich each and all of us beyond measure.

This month’s Connect is dedicated to the mosaic of people and passions who make up our college, our Canada. Let us take a moment to pause, to reflect upon, and celebrate the majesty of our diversity, our openness, our inclusion and how it all makes us infinitely better, stronger, and simply and profoundly … more.

Happy Canada Day!

Today’s read is approximately 4 minutes.

Inside this Edition:

• A Thought to Ponder
• A Short Story to Inspire
• A Short Video to Motivate

A Thought to Ponder

“We like the idea of Canada where all cultures are encouraged to develop in harmony with one another, to become part of the great mosaic.” — Harold Cardinal

We’ve been given a great gift in living in this country, to be a part of wild lands and beauty, to have the chance to exercise freedom and add our own splash of colour to advancements … but we also must remain keenly aware that it takes all of us, honouring and upholding one another in respect and compassion, to continually evolve in our understanding and actions. This quest will continue to keep Canada a country worth celebrating.

A Short Story to Inspire

The Giraffe and the Elephant ~ a Grand Lesson in Diversity

In a small suburban community, a giraffe had a new home built to his family’s specifications. It was a wonderful house for giraffes, with soaring ceilings and tall doorways. High windows ensured maximum light and good views while protecting the family’s privacy.

Narrow hallways saved valuable space without compromising convenience. So well done was the house that it won the National Giraffe Home of the Year Award. The homeowners were very proud.

One day the giraffe, working in his state-of-the-art woodshop in the basement, happened to look out of the window. Coming down the street was an elephant. “I know him,” he thought. “We worked together on a PTA committee. He’s an excellent woodworker, too. I think I’ll invite him in to see my new shop. Maybe we can even work on some projects.” So, the giraffe poked his head out the window and invited the elephant in.

The elephant was delighted; he had liked working with the giraffe and looked forward to knowing him better. Besides, he knew about the woodshop and wanted to see it. So, he walked up to the basement door and waited for it to open.

“Come in; come in,” the giraffe said. But immediately they encountered a problem. While the elephant could get his head in the door, he could go no farther.

“It’s a good thing we made this door expandable to accommodate my woodshop equipment,” the giraffe said. “Give me a minute while I take care of our problem.” He removed some bolts and panels to let the elephant in.

The two acquaintances were happily exchanging woodworking stories when the giraffe’s wife leaned her head down the basement stairs and called her husband:
“Telephone, dear; it’s your boss.” “I’d better take that upstairs in the den,” the giraffe told the elephant. “Please make yourself at home; this may take a while.”

The elephant looked around, saw a half-finished piece of work on the lathe table in the far corner, and decided to explore it further. As he moved through the doorway that led to the shop, he heard an ominous scrunch. He backed out, scratching his head.

“Maybe I’ll join the giraffe upstairs,” he thought. But as he started up the stairs, he heard the stairs begin to crack. He jumped off and fell back against the wall. It too began to crumble. As he sat there disheveled and dismayed, the giraffe came down the stairs.

“What on earth is happening here?” the giraffe asked in amazement. “I was trying to make myself at home,” the elephant said. The giraffe looked around. “Okay, I see the problem. The doorway is too narrow.

We’ll have to make you smaller. There’s an aerobics studio near here. If you’d take some classes there, we could get you down to size.” “Maybe,” the elephant said, not looking very convinced.

“And the stairs are too weak to carry your weight,” the giraffe continued. “If you took a ballet class at night, I’m sure we could get you light on your feet. I really hope you’ll do it. I like having you here.”

“Perhaps,” the elephant said. “But to tell you the truth, I’m not sure a house designed for a giraffe will ever really work for an elephant, not unless there are some major changes.”

~ Adapted from R. Roosevelt Thomas Jr.’s Building a House for Diversity

The Moral of the Story ~ We are all wonderfully different; what suits one may not suit another. Rather than try to change others, it is our gift and our responsibility to see things from another perspective, embrace our diversity and be willing and open to adapt and include the unique perspectives, ways and needs of others.

A Short Videos to Motivate

Inclusion Starts with I | A powerful reflection on the challenges we face and the difference … each one of us … can make. |

https://youtu.be/2g88Ju6nkcg?si=Sr0CSmSaD0aSMKak

Whether you were born here or just arrived, we’re grateful you’re apart of our community, of our Anderson family. Who you are and what you do, makes us, as a college and a country, precisely what we are – and that is worth celebrating!!

Happy Canada Day, every day of the year!

~ Your Anderson College Family