Same Same — but Different
The world is more alike than it is different
Everyone has a unique story — and everyone has heard a “single” story about a place, culture, or a particular person. But thinking about the world in terms of a single story is a disservice to you and whatever (or whomever) you know only a single story about. Australians are rugged and outdoorsy. Pacific Islanders are lazy and notoriously late. The Burmese are cruel and violent.
The single stories about these groups — like most single stories — couldn’t be further from the truth. Every individual person has a story, just like you and me. We have individual stories and ways in which we see the world, and we have different ideas and cultural norms. But most people around the world share similar goals: provide for their family, have enough food to eat and clean water to drink, have a decent house/shelter, and improve their community in some way. How each individual handles those goals, that’s where the unique, individual stories come in.
A young girl in Myanmar
I can tell you first-hand that the whole of the people I met in Myanmar were not cruel or violent. Quiet the opposite, they were kind, gentle, and soft spoken. Most of them work really hard to support their family, build strong communities, and provide education for their children.
Their society looks different from anything the western world is used to — there are many extremely impoverished people, monks are held in high esteem, children who can’t pay for their desks and books cannot go to school, and sanitation standards are low. But, the single story of violence and genocide (which is, horribly, true), is not the the only story.
Let me tell you a story of a young girl in Myanmar who politely guided me around a temple in Bagan. She approached me smiling with yellow paint on her round cheeks (the paint is a cosmetic paste called thanakha that is used for beauty and sun protection) and offered to give me a tour of the temple and the grounds.
As she led me around telling the tales of that temple, the history of Bagan, and sharing stories of local celebrations, I was struck with how incredibly articulate and intelligent she was for anyone — but especially so for someone her age (about 12 years old). She told me that she was leading tours because she couldn’t afford to go to school; she was hoping any tips she received could maybe be enough for her to go to school next year.
She showed me where the river flooded its banks and produced extremely fertile soil for the community’s crops. She said hi to her friends and other tourists as they passed by; incredibly, she was saying hi to the tourists in their native tongue. Apparently, she could conversationally speak 6 languages! As incredible as that was, she sadly shared that she could hardly read in any language because of her gaps in schooling.
She continued to share stories with me for hours about growing up in Bagan, the gatherings and celebrations they would hold, and how the people cared for the temples and tended to the gold leafing placed on so many stupas. Never once did she push me to hurry or ask for any money. When we finally made our way back to the entrance to the temple grounds where she had a blanket of her family’s wares to sell, she finally asked me to take a look. She wasn’t pushy when I didn’t purchase anything (I wished that I could purchase every item on her blanket but without any ATMs in all of Bagan, I had no access to any kind of cash) and even gave me a big hug before I left. She was kind and generous to her core.
Her story and her kindness were similar across all the people I met in Myanmar. A family offered my travel companions and I dinner because we had no money so couldn’t afford to eat; an artist gave us beautiful paintings just for listening to his stories about his artwork; even our hotel let us “check-in early” at 4:00am the day before our reservation — all with no charge, just to help us out. The patient monks shared their rituals with us, helped us tie our longyi, and shared how important it was to their families that they train as monks. Each person I met was kind and gentle and genuinely cared for others in their community.
But the single story told about Myanmar is in direct opposition to the Myanmar I experienced. In fact, I’ve found most single stories told about a country or group to be quite unrealistic.
I find that most people around the world are kind, caring, and helpful if you give them the chance.
The world is more alike than it is different. Most people want health, safety, enough food and water, and to have community and love. No matter if you visit the most remote tribes in the world, or the wealthiest cities, people are always similar. People want to work — it could be running an international business or it could be weaving fishing nets, but people want to work. People want their children to be safe and happy — for some that is private tutors and college classes while for others that is a baby strapped to their mom’s back as she walks to collect fresh water. And people are looking for love and community — it doesn’t matter if that is volunteering at the local soup kitchen or gathering around a fire for a coming-of-age ceremony.
People are people wherever you go. Take the chance and learn from people who don’t think like you, and you’ll learn more than you ever thought you could. Find the individual stories in a world that is more similar than it is different.
Leana’s an avid world traveler who has been to over 40 countries and will be venturing to her 7th continent in 2022. She believes in ubuntu and that adventures make life worth living. To follow her journey as a plus-sized woman with unquenchable wanderlust as she continues to seek out all that the world has to offer, you can check out The Overweight Adventurer.
