I had a several hour wait between VA appointments yesterday. I found myself an out-of-the-way chair and sat to wait. While there I was able to observe many veterans and VA staff as they passed by and I was struck with an insight about our need for diversity.
The veterans I saw (as well as those I know from elsewhere) largely fit a few stereotypes, while the VA staff largely fit into a few completely different ones. (As with all generalities, they won’t apply to every individual; there are plenty of exceptions.) And I was struck by the need for both today.
Due to the nature of the work they are asked to do, Veterans can be gruff, disciplined, hardened, unyielding, unforgiving, strong, etc. They are trained for violence, uniformity is drilled into them, they’ve make due with cold food from an MRE bag; they’ll go THROUGH a wall to accomplish a task, . They study military tactics and criminal justice. They are who you want with you if a fight broke out.
The VA staff are largely not that way. They are the people who are more compassionate, tender, merciful, willing to compromise, able to see the pain of others. They are healers. They want to save the world, they wear peace symbols on their clothes, they see beauty in variety, they sip latte’s from their Starbucks mugs. They study social sciences and protest for civil rights. They run or call 911 when the fight breaks out.
But like a symbiotic relationship, both sets of these characteristics are good and desirable. The veteran, trained for violence, keeps the world peaceful for the healer; their strength provides stability, safety, and security. The healer works to put the veteran back together again physically and emotionally; they remove the sting/pain of the violence that the veteran has experienced. They help the violent find peace.
My Facebook Pic
Sticker on my Physical Therapist’s backpack
Without the violent/strong/brave the caregivers world would be unsafe. They would be subject to the whims of the cruel and uncaring. Without the healers, the world would be cold and ugly and full of suffering. They help to show us the beauty that exists around us.
Again, not every veteran fits the description, nor does every healer. There is plenty of overlap, but I feel the premise is true. I think the two groups would generally have very different world views and sets of values. You might say one group is described by the world “Justice” and the other by the word “Mercy”.
What I’m trying to convey is that as a society, we need both. We need justice amongst us, and we need mercy too. We need those who are strong and unyielding. We equally need those who are tender and compassionate. Without a sheepdog the flock of sheep would be destroyed by the wolves, but there would be no point in having just a flock of sheepdogs. It is only the combination of sheep and sheepdog that has any benefit.
There are limits to the value of diversity to be sure, and perhaps I’ll write something about that in a different post, but I wanted to express that I see the value in having several viewpoints by which to evaluate the world. And I hope you can as well.