Recently, while my 17-year-old son was recounting a game of Monopoly he played with his friends, a small detail caught my attention. He mentioned that his friend Urban always chooses the “trashcan” symbol. At first, I was puzzled. What could a trashcan have to do with Monopoly? It took me a moment to realize that Urban was referring to the thimble token, which my son and his friends had never seen before. To them, it looked like an upside-down trashcan.
This seemingly trivial mix-up sheds light on a deeper truth about how our backgrounds shape our perceptions. My son’s generation grew up in a world where sewing thimbles are nearly obsolete -- certainly in our house. Without exposure to sewing kits or traditional crafts, they had no context for understanding the thimble symbol. What was once a familiar item to past generations had transformed into something entirely different through their eyes.
This experience is a vivid reminder of how our backgrounds influence our perspectives. Just as a thimble can be mistaken for a trashcan, our personal experiences and environments shape the way we interpret and understand the world. In mediation and beyond, recognizing these differences can foster empathy and improve communication. Understanding that others may come from different backgrounds helps bridge gaps and facilitates more meaningful connections. So next time you find yourself puzzled by someone’s perspective, remember: it might just be their unique background coloring their view.
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