Joining in an organization of people who are different than me

I have put this portion of my blog off the longest because joining an organization of people who are different from me is not something I do naturally. I naturally shy away from things I am uncomfortable with. I like to be around people I have things in common with. I can think of very few times I have pushed myself to be in situations that are out of my comfort zone.

One example I can think of during college was the time I spent in the Voice's In Harmony Gospel choir. I have always enjoyed gospel music and one of the first things I did when I started college at Goshen College was join the choir. Truthfully I am surprised that I had the courage to attend the first practice without knowing anyone. My love of music overrode my fear of uncomfortable situation. Overall this was not a situation that was comfortable for me. I had grown up reading music and this group did not use standard music. The leader would often sing a line and we would echo. Or there would be one line of music and we would have to find our own harmonies. Being a part of this choir was also one of the few times in my life when I was an ethnic minority. Attending a primarily white church, a primarily white Mennonite middle school and high school, and finally a Mennonite college has often meant I am surrounded by people who look a lot like me. I stayed with the choir for one semester before getting busy with other school activities, but every time I heard the choir I was reminded of my time there and how it stretched me out of my comfort zones.