Cultural Differences

In one of our recent disscussions, we pondered the differences between American culture and Basotho culture. Am I right, wrong or just different in the things that I have grown accustomed to? Although there are many differences in the way that Americans do things compared to the rest of the world, I am quickly learning that these differences are not "wrong", but merely different.

For example, in America we know that the responsibility of raising children is placed in the hands of the parents. If a child does something that will harm them, a parent will tell that child what he/she is doing is going to be harmful. Likewise, if a child disobeys, that child will be repremanded by the parent. In Basotho culture, there is a saying: "it takes a village to raise a child." This means that if there is a child that is not acting as he/she should and the parent is not around, nearby adults will punish the child accordingly. In my mind, this does not make sense; the inside of me wants to scream that what this person is doing is wrong and this person needs to wait for a parent. Why would this stranger, who knows nothing about this child, punish them? This is completely wrong--

In America, time is one of the most, if not THE most important thing on everyone's mind. Wake up at 7, out the door by 8, drop the kids off at school and be to work by 9, hour-lunch at 1, punch out at 5, just in time to pick Johnny up from football practice and swing by the drive-thru before we get home. If at any point in the day you were late, the rest of that day is thrown off and nobody better talk to you for fear of losing a limb. In Basotho culture, time means next to nothing. When they say that church starts at 10:30, what they really mean is you can decided whether or not you are coming to church at that time, and an hour later, when a few people have arrived, they will start church service. "Why can't these people just get to church when they are told church starts, or even 10 minutes early to get settled in?" They are late and that is the bottom line; if they were only on time, then they would be right--

These things are just 2 of many differences between our cultures. Many times, I find myself thinking about the wrong things in our culture, or the Basotho culture, and I don't stop for one minute to think that maybe it is not wrong, but possibly just different. Instead of viewing things from one end of the spectrum or the other, I am learning to understand that there is more than just the "American way." I am learning to not become overly-busy with life, but to slow down and see things from a new and different perspective.