I love cultural mixing. I love visiting other cultures, and I love when people from other cultures visit mine. Sometimes this is as big as a person from another country visiting mine (and I’ve had the pleasure of hosting several such people before!), and other times it’s just someone who was raised very differently having dinner with me and seeing all the interesting ways our assumptions clash. Regardless, I find the discussion around how our cultures intersect or diverge to be a fascinating one, always.
One way people from different cultures interact that I particularly love is when they (good-naturedly!) make fun of each other for not behaving in accordance with cultural norms they only just found out about. I might buy someone their first cheesesteak, for example, and before their first bite I’m ribbing them over eating it wrong, or something like that. I love this, because it’s an invitation. It’s saying, “Hey, you should adopt this cultural norm! You should become part of my tribe, so we can share this special in-group knowledge!”
Not being delicate with someone is an expression of friendship, of tribal unity. You’re diplomatic with someone when… well, when you’re a diplomat. An “other,” only visiting. But if we’re going to become friends or even family, we laugh together. We joke and jostle and make fun, a little. We “mean” at each other, sometimes just to give the other person permission to do it back. We become closer, and it gives meaning to our time together.
Come have a cheesesteak with me any time, my friend.
The Opportunity Machine 