My kids teach me a lot. Sometimes I think they teach me more than I will ever be able to teach them…especially when it comes to life. Children don’t filter themselves, their thoughts or what they loudly blurt out in a crowded airplane or elevator. They live life without filters and have this built-in tolerance for people who are “different” than them. This “life with no filters” can be painful and oftentimes embarrassing, but many times they hold some of the most important life lessons. Lessons we as adults too often forget. Inspiring lessons, part of my travel inspiration.
On our last trip to San Juan, Puerto Rico we had plans to spend a day at the beach with some good friends who live there. A few hours before we met up we learned their two children spoke very little English. Ours speak even less Spanish. Oye Vye! All I could think was, ‘This day is going to be a disaster!’ The kids would be frustrated and asking us to interpret every five minutes. They would never give us – the adults – a chance to catch up.
Enter “life with no filters”
Within five minutes of reaching the beach house the kids were in the backyard playing chase. Squirting one another with water guns. Hunting for crabs. Pulling each another on the water toys and jumping in the waves. Language didn’t matter. The color of their skin was not important. The fact they couldn’t speak to each other, but only laugh, run around and splash was all that mattered. Having fun was the only requirement. It was truly the only thing they needed to find the joy in being with each another.
By the end of the day they were all snuggled up together on the couch watching a Spanish cartoon. They were best of friends. It never dawned on them they had barely spoken (verbally) to each other all day. All they knew was they had an amazing time and made new friends.
At that moment I wished they could continue living life with no filters. To keep this innocence, openness and tolerance for people, places and cultures that are different than theirs. But they won’t. Inevitably life creates filters. Judgments. Impatience. Fears of the unknown. Ignorance. But this little incident in San Juan with my kids was a simple and powerful reminder that it doesn’t have to be this way. They can have fewer filters in life…everyone can. Essentially, the more people who travel, the more they understand and experience different cultures, the better the world would be.
To create a better world, one where people are more tolerant, respect different cultures and traditions we have to see the world. Not just by watching the Travel Channel or National Geographic but getting outside your comfort zone and seeing a different part of the world. That doesn’t mean you have to go to India, Russia, Italy or another country. It can be going from Grapevine, Texas to New York City. (I promise, it’s a culture shock your first time and can feel just as foreign as traveling from Denver, Colorado to Chita, Siberia.) To create a better world, one where we have fewer filters and more tolerance for people and their cultures, we have to know they exist and experience them outside of text books, magazines and dare I say it, travel blogs.
It’s a colorful world out there. Go see it. Go make it a better place for all of us to live in.
Elaine Schoch is an award-winning travel writer, wine judge, American Wine Specialist and certified by the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET II). At Carpe Travel she shares wine travel destination guides for ALL WINE LOVERS – from novices to experienced pros – to help them plan their wine adventures, arming them with insider tips, must-visit spots, and things to see and do beyond the vines.
So so true. I love in so many ways that kids don’t have filters yet. Yes it’s embarrassing at times but most of the time I think it makes us appreciate life more! Love this post.
Thanks so much for reading and commenting. I’m really hoping to limit the Princesses filters but I’m pretty ok with limiting the embarrassing ones. If only their was a formula for balancing that. =)
I completely agree. It’s amazing how kids are able to play and even settle disputes without speaking the same language. I’ve watched my kids do this in Italy, Poland, and even our local park. 🙂
I love how open and welcoming kids are. They have no pre-conceived ideas and they are just so free.
Beautiful article! It’s so true how comforting it can be to see children getting along with one another despite differences that normally separate us as adults. I’m glad you shared this with us, these are some great reminders!
Yes, it’s something we as adults need to get better at… Thanks so much for reading!
Great post! It’s always nice to see the world through kids eyes, especially in moments like this. I love they can have fun and that it doesn’t even matter if they speak the same language or not. We all need to remember this more often!
Yes, a great lesson from kids… Thanks for reading!
Now that’s my idea of vacation, spending some time on the beach with family and friends….pass me some some-mores please 🙂
You won me over completely with the title to this post, but the rest is awesome as well! You’re right, cross-cultural understanding through travel would be a massive benefit to everyone in all corners of the globe. Keep it up with the inspirational posts, Elaine!
Thanks, Emma!
I hope that my kids feel the same way when they grow up. Right now we are taking them out as much as possible, but when you say yes to frequent travel, you say no to other things like sports and playing outside with their friends.