THE CARROLL NEWS: Staff Commentary: Snowy days help stretch boundaries Staff Commentary: Snowy days help stretch boundaries ================================================================================ Katie Sheridan on 12 March, 2008 03:10:00 My Saturday was spent at a retreat, followed by an intense snowball fight. The snow cancelled my plans for the evening, so I stayed inside with some friends and a good movie. It was, overall, an enjoyable and relaxing day. It was also, surprisingly, an enlightening day. At my retreat I met someone new, now a friend, but previously more of an acquaintance. We talked about a lot of things, one of which was friendship. Culture can drastically influence the definition of the term “friendship.” My new friend is from another country, and I have spent my entire life in America. Here we may talk to someone, but the next time we see them we look away. We become incredibly interested in something across the Quad or suddenly get a phone call; preventing us from saying hello. (You all know you’ve done it.) In his country, when you talk to someone you have created a friendship and they will always say hello. He also explained how when he first arrived here he heard someone say, “If you didn’t get along with your roommate…” He was astonished at how someone couldn’t get along with his or her roommate. I understood what he was saying, but looked at him as though he were incredibly naïve. I’ve been blessed with a roommate that I not only can tolerate, but that has actually become a very close friend. If I had been placed with a roommate I didn’t like, I wouldn’t have tried very hard to make it work. I would have just requested a new one. He explained that all you have to do is change yourself a little bit, and that it is good to stretch your boundaries. What my new friend was sharing with me paralleled the meaningful week I had on an immersion trip in Louisville, KY. While I was there, we worked primarily with African refugees, people who were removed from everything they knew and placed in an entirely different country. They couldn’t understand us very well and were often confused. However, after spending a few sincere moments with them, they became our friends for life. In contrast to the refugees, Americans have a very easy life. We don’t have to stretch our boundaries or befriend those around us if we don’t want to. We create friendships with a select few and neglect others. I am guilty of this as well. So, as we conclude our final months of this school year, I encourage you to truly befriend someone. Talk to the person you see every day but may have neglected in the past. “Stretch your boundaries” and realize those around you in a different light.