mix it up!

i get to sample a very broad range of people in my weekend activity of doing birthday parties. overall i find it quite interesting studying the different types of people & circles that i come in contact with. oh yes, people watching is a very fun pastime. & very educational too. i've read that smart people have mastered the art of being quiet & just listening or observing. you can learn so much.
at kiddies birthday parties, there are generally a standard collection of people present. i'll name a few types:....there'll be oldies- sweet grandparents who are ever offering you food & help-those guys are among my favourites; oldies who think they're still young -single, in jeans with the cigarette glued between fore & middle finger, all clued in on the latest lingo; there'll be young people, parents, naturally CHILDREN aaaaaa that's where i have some issues, haha. - why am i in this profession?hahaha
now some parties go the extra mile & invite some additional nationalities, new acquaintances, new neighbours, new work colleagues, people from all kinds of walks of life. they really mix it up. recently i went to a party where there were indians, whites, some non-english speaking japanese- who, by the way were trying very hard to socialize, bless them, all ages, ranks, you name it.
then there are some parties i do where i notice a distinct difference. while they may have the usual scenario of family members & friends. these guys all seem to me to be mere duplications of one another. they talk exactly the same, have the same accent, skin tone, dress style, weight, hairstyles, they laugh at the same jokes, drink in equally quantum portions, & want the same things from life..... that's easy because what they want from life is not much. i imagine they grew up together & it never struck them to even consider broadening their scope or their social circle.
unfortunately, people like these will never grow. in order to grow, one needs to be constantly raising their goals, expectations & broadening their vision. meeting new people, travelling to new places, doing things they've never done before! associating with great minds, never settling for what we are or have. but perpetually knowing that we can do better & more!
another pro in associating with different people is that you start to notice the ones that have that special quality-they've discovered the secrets to life & habituate them in their own lives. these are the kind of people you want to spend your time with. the ones that will add value to your life. & teach you things that will help you be a better person & inspire you to lead a more rewarding life!
yet some people are willing to settle for what they have & for what they are. they don't realise that men of FAITH climb unscaled walls & sail uncharted seas!
now obviously birds of a feather may flock together right? and people are gonna have friends that are similar to them. but sometimes, it's nice to be willing to look beyond what we know & see if we can learn more. about the other guy. about a different situation. about a different country. about a different language or race. - this is what makes life so fascinating! that there's always opportunity to grow & be more than we think we can be.