Diversity

A couple weeks ago, Reed got together with a bunch of pals for a draft for their new spikeball league. They even dressed up and everything. [Side note: SO grateful that he's finally getting to do some social things, after missing out on them for a year!] They took a big group picture, and I was reminded again what a different environment our kids are growing up in - both from my own childhood in the same county, and certainly from Tod's childhood in Montana.

Growing up in Loudoun County, it seems to me thinking back that "diversity" was mostly limited to Black folks, and a few people of Asian descent. Looking at some data, it seems Loudoun was 90% White in the 1980s. Things have changed so much here in our home county. Population has soared, and diversified so much - Whites now make up about 55% of the population. 

I am very grateful that our kids are growing up in this version of LoCo. I don't think they notice race, or give it much thought - people are just people, and if they happen to be brown or Black, it makes no difference. It's just all about are they a good person, someone who's fun to be around. With their diverse friend group, I hope they're learning more about other cultures and the ways other families do things that might be different from ours. This is an area I know I could do better in - I don't really have many friends who aren't White. Actually I don't have a ton of friends at all, so it's a small sample size. It's hard to know how to remedy this situation - making friends as an adult is hard. But it is something that's on my mind.

Our country continues to be in the middle of a racial reckoning - and the accompanying backlash - and I hope we're doing all we can to be on the right side of history.