By Traci Rhoades
Most of what I’ve learned about sociology in recent memory, I learned from Malcolm Gladwell.
From his online bio, he is “known for blending social science research with engaging storytelling.” My husband and I have listened to about half of his eight books, often during a road trip from here to somewhere else.
That’s what I want to write about today, how interaction with people different from us, by traveling, or opening up our home to “strangers,” effects our interaction with those around us. I’ll frame my thoughts around a quote from Gladwell’s book, “Talking to Strangers,” published in 2020.
Here’s the quote: “Don't look at the stranger and jump to conclusions. Look at the stranger's world.”
The United States of America turns 250 in July. The land we call home, as we know, has an expansive history that stretches out well before that time even. As a country, we are relatively young, but our land is not. It has countless stories to tell. So, too, do the people who inhabit the land.
Well into my adult years now, I’ve developed a greater appreciation for our collective history. I’ve also grown more curious about the strangers around me and the worlds they inhabit. Both of these working together have given me ample doses of caution and humility when engaging in conversation with those around me.
Perhaps a personal story will help you understand my approach. My husband works with a man who was born in southern India. He and his wife have an arranged marriage, and they have lived in West Michigan for more than 20 years. They attend church here and have homeschooled their three daughters, partnering with local co-ops.
From time to time, we bring our families together for a meal. They have hosted us, and the cuisine is mouthwatering. Their culture understands it’s an honor to host guests in their home, so they go all-out, offering a variety of foods. Afterward, we often play board games.
When we take a turn hosting, we often ask them what food they want us to prepare. Smoked chicken wings with sides of potato salad and coleslaw have been a favorite. At our house, if the weather is nice, we sit outside, watching our kids interact, and our pets roaming around in the yard.
I remember one time, I had picked up a cookbook with recipes from the region where our friends had grown up. I sat down with Jennifer, the wife, and showed her the book. One by one, we looked at various recipes, and she shared stories about her mom making some of those dishes. I was thrilled with this activity, but it occurred to me, I should probably ask if it was something she wanted to do. As the Gladwell quote pointed out, although I didn’t consider Jennifer a stranger, I certainly don’t know her super well, and felt I shouldn’t jump to conclusions.
“Are you enjoying going through this cookbook and talking about what was comfort food for you?” I asked. “We can do something else.”
She said something to the effect of, “It’s very fun for me. I never want to assume people want me to go on and on about the culture where we grew up, but I really like talking about it when I know someone is interested.”
That gave me good perspective, and I’ve taken that approach countless times since, both in person and online. I’ve found people very responsive to honest inquiries about their perspective, another way of saying their world.
For the past few weeks, hundreds of thousands of international visitors have traveled to the United States for the 2026 World Cup. While the games themselves have been exciting for football (known as soccer in the USA) fans globally, the fans’ reactions to uniquely American experiences has really captured our heart. Welcome to our part of the world!
Social media has exploded with viral content of these fans bringing their own national flavor to our cities’ streets. Here are two of my personal favorites: Scottish men in kilts, playing bagpipes on the streets of Boston, hashtag “New Scotland,” and the adoption of John Denver’s “Country Roads” as the unofficial anthem for U.S. soccer fans.
A Good Morning, America article on abcnews.com quoted Dr. Rachel J.C. Fu, chair of the Department of Tourism, Hospitality and Event Management and director of the Eric Friedhiem Tourism at the University of Florida, as saying: “Research consistently shows that people remember people more than places. A visitor may forget the final score, but they will remember the Uber driver who recommended a local barbecue restaurant, the volunteer who helped them find the train station or the stranger who said, ‘Welcome to America.’”
Among the many gifts we receive from encountering strangers, whether we’re traveling or inviting them into our “world,” is a greater appreciation for what we have.
Happy 250th Birthday, USA. Sometimes we need strangers to remind us we live in a wonderful part of the world too.
—————
Traci Rhoades is a faith writer who advocates for an integrated life rooted in Christ. Her family of three loves living near the beach towns of Lake Michigan.
Most of what I’ve learned about sociology in recent memory, I learned from Malcolm Gladwell.
From his online bio, he is “known for blending social science research with engaging storytelling.” My husband and I have listened to about half of his eight books, often during a road trip from here to somewhere else.
That’s what I want to write about today, how interaction with people different from us, by traveling, or opening up our home to “strangers,” effects our interaction with those around us. I’ll frame my thoughts around a quote from Gladwell’s book, “Talking to Strangers,” published in 2020.
Here’s the quote: “Don't look at the stranger and jump to conclusions. Look at the stranger's world.”
The United States of America turns 250 in July. The land we call home, as we know, has an expansive history that stretches out well before that time even. As a country, we are relatively young, but our land is not. It has countless stories to tell. So, too, do the people who inhabit the land.
Well into my adult years now, I’ve developed a greater appreciation for our collective history. I’ve also grown more curious about the strangers around me and the worlds they inhabit. Both of these working together have given me ample doses of caution and humility when engaging in conversation with those around me.
Perhaps a personal story will help you understand my approach. My husband works with a man who was born in southern India. He and his wife have an arranged marriage, and they have lived in West Michigan for more than 20 years. They attend church here and have homeschooled their three daughters, partnering with local co-ops.
From time to time, we bring our families together for a meal. They have hosted us, and the cuisine is mouthwatering. Their culture understands it’s an honor to host guests in their home, so they go all-out, offering a variety of foods. Afterward, we often play board games.
When we take a turn hosting, we often ask them what food they want us to prepare. Smoked chicken wings with sides of potato salad and coleslaw have been a favorite. At our house, if the weather is nice, we sit outside, watching our kids interact, and our pets roaming around in the yard.
I remember one time, I had picked up a cookbook with recipes from the region where our friends had grown up. I sat down with Jennifer, the wife, and showed her the book. One by one, we looked at various recipes, and she shared stories about her mom making some of those dishes. I was thrilled with this activity, but it occurred to me, I should probably ask if it was something she wanted to do. As the Gladwell quote pointed out, although I didn’t consider Jennifer a stranger, I certainly don’t know her super well, and felt I shouldn’t jump to conclusions.
“Are you enjoying going through this cookbook and talking about what was comfort food for you?” I asked. “We can do something else.”
She said something to the effect of, “It’s very fun for me. I never want to assume people want me to go on and on about the culture where we grew up, but I really like talking about it when I know someone is interested.”
That gave me good perspective, and I’ve taken that approach countless times since, both in person and online. I’ve found people very responsive to honest inquiries about their perspective, another way of saying their world.
For the past few weeks, hundreds of thousands of international visitors have traveled to the United States for the 2026 World Cup. While the games themselves have been exciting for football (known as soccer in the USA) fans globally, the fans’ reactions to uniquely American experiences has really captured our heart. Welcome to our part of the world!
Social media has exploded with viral content of these fans bringing their own national flavor to our cities’ streets. Here are two of my personal favorites: Scottish men in kilts, playing bagpipes on the streets of Boston, hashtag “New Scotland,” and the adoption of John Denver’s “Country Roads” as the unofficial anthem for U.S. soccer fans.
A Good Morning, America article on abcnews.com quoted Dr. Rachel J.C. Fu, chair of the Department of Tourism, Hospitality and Event Management and director of the Eric Friedhiem Tourism at the University of Florida, as saying: “Research consistently shows that people remember people more than places. A visitor may forget the final score, but they will remember the Uber driver who recommended a local barbecue restaurant, the volunteer who helped them find the train station or the stranger who said, ‘Welcome to America.’”
Among the many gifts we receive from encountering strangers, whether we’re traveling or inviting them into our “world,” is a greater appreciation for what we have.
Happy 250th Birthday, USA. Sometimes we need strangers to remind us we live in a wonderful part of the world too.
—————
Traci Rhoades is a faith writer who advocates for an integrated life rooted in Christ. Her family of three loves living near the beach towns of Lake Michigan.
