I work part time at a local grocery store in my hometown here in Massachusetts. It affords me to watch human nature. 

I look at the children and am charmed by their never-ending joy and awe in all that they see. As they either walk with mom or dad or sit in the shopping cart, it seems everyone they meet is a point of total fascination. 

Somehow, they don’t seem to be concerned that the other person is dirty, or black, or speaks differently, or is old and feeble. They just look with star-struck wonder at everyone and everything.

Sadly, this joy of looking at the world with unceasing amazement changes with time. I overheard a shopper yesterday telling her friend that “‘these’ people take up the aisles and they talk loudly,” referring to a family of newly relocated Hispanics to our community that were trying to figure out how to navigate this large grocery store. It is “these” people that the little ones don’t see as different, intrusive, or pains or threats. “These” people offer a diversity that we, as adults, become fearful of, and this begins to create needless walls of separation that lead to racism, bias, and prejudice.  

As military families move all over the world and live in or visit different countries, we could carry this baggage of judgment with us.

Or, we could relish the opportunity to meet new people, try new foods, worship with people of different colors and religions, test our ability to learn a new language, and celebrate this cornucopia that the world offers. Instead of sorting people into different categories, such as Democrat or Republican, Northern or Southern, Jewish or Catholic, Muslim or Hindu, or even more exacting like Bostonians from New Yorkers or those Californians being so different than New Mexicans, we could as easily look at everyone with the eyes of a 3 year old.  

And, what does the world of a 3 year old look like? 

Oh, when they see clouds and see animal shapes. They meet a stranger and immediately make a new friend. They assume you are kind and nice. They want your attention and want to know what you are like.  Their imagination is full of possibilities and can’t wait to talk to you. People are endlessly interesting and children want to show you their cookie or laugh with you when you make a silly face. They don’t know “these” people as people to fear or avoid or judge or marginalize. 

What children seem to know is that we are much more alike than we are different. In fact, 99.9% of all of us share such a great genome cosmic soup called humanity.

What does this mean?

It means that each of us is comprised of about 3 billion little DNA units and any two people share 2.9999 billion similar units.

That is what children see and wouldn’t it be a good reminder for all of us to be more like a 3 year old?

William Shuttleworth is a retired school superintendent and a veteran of the USAF. He recently walked from Newburyport, MA, to San Diego, CA, to raise awareness of veterans issues and can be reached at wshuttleworth@hotmail.com. You can visit his website at www.vetsdontforgetvets.com.