A few days ago, while at work, a co-worker came in and offered up some homemade stew. He raves about the homemade vegetables and the sausage in it, and finally about the two squirrels he nailed with a BB gun and had cooked up in it.

As he picked up the ladle and scooped up a hearty serving, my stomach was both nervous and excited, but I gladly accepted a bowl with a smile.

The first bite was delicious. The savory vegetables almost melted in my mouth and the squirrel itself added a certain sweetness. As I consumed the bowl without a second thought, it made me realize how many people wouldn’t.

The same as when I was in Tanzania a few years ago. We had gathered for our early afternoon “Chai time”, with all the teachers from our school. As we moved in line to grab our chai and bread, they offered us a bowl of soup. Not wanting to be rude to our host nation, we all partook.

Turns out it was goat intestine soup, very salty and bland, but our hosts smiled as we gladly accepted a bowl.

Life has taught me, from a humid high school on Tanzania, to my very own office, that different cultures are all around us, and they all have something unique to offer.

Even within the good ole’ US of A, we have different cultures (needless to say, the chef of the squirrel stew was from Georgia originally, haha).

Life is too short to say no, to be close-minded, and to not experience new things.

So next time you’re faced with a new experience, or a bowl of questionable stew, dive right in, because you never know what you’re going to get.

-Lil Kevy