Diversity, or Perhaps Instead, Diversify

When society addresses diversity, particularly as something to strive for, it is typically with the goal of integrating a variety of people from many different backgrounds.  These backgrounds include multitude group types that span a broad spectrum of demographics, categories, and designations.  The social goal of creating inclusive environments often makes me wonder about who each person is as an individual, and what each person's own personal perspective is.  One of the perspectives I have pondered on multiple occasions is that of my youngest sister, Helga, who has Down Syndrome.  Her love of film started me on a journey down a rabbit hole that led to the actor Tom Hanks.  Somehow Helga's struggles coupled with Hanks's acting ability morphed together into this idea of a different way of approaching and achieving diversity for any and all people who might be marginalized.

Helga proudly showcasing her collection of Tom Hanks movies.

Most will agree that Tom Hanks is an incredibly talented actor.  He has played a myriad of roles, with a variety of different character types.  Consider the range: from the comedic role of Ray Peterson in The Burbs, to the alcoholic ex-baseball player turned women's coach in A League of Their Own, to the man-child portrayed in Big, versus the war-weary Captain Miller in Saving Private Ryan, there is no doubt that he spans the entire spectrum from comedy to drama.  One cannot forget the trifecta of romantic comedies starring opposite Meg Ryan, where each character is unique and one moves through the genres of comedy to drama in Joe Versus the Volcano and Sleepless in Seattle respectively, to more of a true romantic comedy with You've Got Mail.  Hanks has made us see, feel, and understand what it is to be many characters, from the gentle mannered prison guard in The Green Mile, to the man alone on a deserted island with no one to talk to but his made-up volleyball friend Wilson in Cast Away, to actually making a toy come to life for millions with Woody in the Toy Story films.  Hanks even managed to create multiple unique characters through the use of his voice alone, as a voice actor in The Polar Express.

"Being there for a child is the most noble thing a toy can do."  Woody — Toy Story

What is remarkable about Tom Hanks, which is a feat not accomplished by most actors, is that he truly becomes each character that he portrays, and each character is a unique individual.  Many actors have their standard tics, that carry over from role to role, but I have found that each of Hanks’s characters is a complete and unique person.  Thinking about his arguably most famous role as Forrest Gump, I was struck by a thought.  Hanks played a mentally challenged man who became a national hero by simply putting his mind to doing everything to the best of his ability.  This character was so tangible that he became a hero to many of us viewers, even though he only existed in the realm of fiction.

"My mama always said, 'life was like a box of chocolate.  You never know what you're gonna get.'"  Forrest Gump — Forrest Gump

We are taught in school to be respectful of people from different backgrounds, and to strive to create an environment of diversity.  Yet, I wonder if that approach is entirely wrong.  What if we instead try to diversify ourselves, rather than creating an artificially selected environment that spans the spectrum of various cultural, religious, and social beliefs?  By diversifying ourselves I mean, what if we all tried to be like Tom Hanks and truly immerse ourselves into who the people we meet are, and what their life experiences must be like.  Consider the possibility: you meet people, and rather than judging them based on an element of who they are, you instead simply try to understand who they are and imagine what their life is like.  I think people could be more compassionate if they approached other people with this type of mindset. 

"There's no crying in baseball!"  Jimmy Dugan — A League of Their Own

Living with Down Syndrome is difficult.  Helga's life is challenging for many reasons, one of them being she is often, literally, not understood by people, because she does not speak very clearly.  Even among those of us who know her struggles and can understand her without blinking an eye, we often fail to truly comprehend what goes through her mind.  Movies are one of Helga’s greatest passions and I appreciate how Tom Hanks helped America fall in love with a mentally disabled man.  If everyone could understand others so completely and diversify themselves in the way that Tom Hanks must in order to become his characters, perhaps the world would be kinder and more inclusive to everyone who is different, particularly those who suffer from mental disabilities and deficits.