“I know there is strength in the differences between us. I know there is comfort where we overlap.” Ani DiFranco
My husband and I enjoy many of the same things in life and most certainly share the same values. We have a rather far-left view and can both be a little impatient with those who even tilt right. Compromise generally comes easily in decision making since we both recognize when it might be wise to concede on a particular issue. And for both of us, family is always first.
However, we do differ a bit in our interests. While we both love classic Mopars, his passion for vintage snowmobiles is a wonder to me. I read books voraciously; for him it’s newspapers and magazines.
We share a mutual love of music. However, what we want to listen to at any given time can be at opposite ends of the genre spectrum. Though I tend to select a playlist to suit a mood or time of day; jazz for a quiet dinner, for example; he plays to suit his mood. AC DC blaring out of speakers on a gentle Sunday morning, early enough that I’m still sporting bed head, is not unheard of.
There are elements of our personalities that differ too. Many, truth be told. He is yin to my yang, north to my south.
Entering a room full of strangers, my guy will walk in with confidence, making his way through the mass, making new friends along the way. I will stick to him like glue, quiet in the extreme. Where he seeks out that person with whom he might find something in common, I hope they find me.
He’s never been to a party he wanted to leave; I would generally prefer to stay home. He’s a touch bull-headed (he admits this) and will strike with passionate defence of his perspective. I am a true Libra who wishes everyone would just get along. It all works, of course, because the differences support us as a couple. For example, he is my comfort zone in social settings: I’m the one who reminds him the next day will come early and it’s time to go home.
It’s an individual’s tastes and traits that make them the special person they are. We might be puzzled by another’s choices but they’re not ours to understand.
In business, too, polarity is obvious. For instance, putting together promotions with a team can be an interesting endeavour as complete consensus on what looks good is unlikely.
Also, working in the online clipart industry it can often be an eye-opener when my colleagues and I take a peek at the most popular downloads. Though there is likely to be a commonality in a theme, the styles can differ significantly from what one of us might choose.
I thought it might be fun, therefore, to take a look at the five top downloads for clipart for this week from one of our websites, then share the collections of which they’re a part. Below are the results. The strength is in their differences, though the upcoming holiday season seems to be high on everybody’s list.
