By Vicki Tilton

I attended 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd grade awards ceremonies at Bent School recently for my three granddaughters. We joke around that you can’t miss them since they are a minority at Bent being blonde haired and blue eyed Caucasians. Each time I attend the only bilingual grade school in District 87 I swell with pride for the entire diverse group of youngsters in that school. It makes me proud, not just of my granddaughters but of all of the kids that show their smiles and sometimes their shyness when being recognized for their accomplishments.

We seem to just hear about the negative things going on in our world, all the racial differences being screamed at us on national network news. I encourage you to look around Bloomington Normal and McLean County to see the other side of the story. The “rest of the story” as a well-known broadcaster would have once said. There are Indian, Hispanic, African American, racially diverse and Asian children working side by side, playing on the playground and having lunch together with my blondies. I think that we have an example of how it can work; how we can successfully learn and play together and it gives me great hope for the future of this next generation.

We are never too old to make new friends and “play” with them as adults either. I was honored to be asked to be part of a change to the program of the YWCA’s Women of Distinction this past May. An interview “coffee table” style conversation was the format and I made a new friend. I knew who Arlene Hosea was from her recognition by the Y a couple of years ago, but I can’t say that I really knew her until we shared that stage and opened up dialogue between us. It was amazing how much we have in common, how alike I believe we are, and how many actual ties we share with our community.

I guess what I hope to convey here, while all the unrest goes on around the country, is to please reach out to someone that is “different” than you. Someone that doesn’t look like you or work in your world and make a new friend, someone that you can learn from and someone you can have fun with. Arlene and I certainly have a new friendship and I hope that others can discover a new friend this summer and see the beauty in our diverse community.