Don’t Hide Your Humanism

I had a really great experience today that I want to share with you. I was at the local museum with my son and when I was answering his questions about rifling in cannons (long story) and two women with young kids looked at me and said “she’s seems to be smart and know a lot of stuff, we need to hang out with her.” So, we did. They had a boy about the same age as my son and they got along well and my son delighted in showing him around the museum.

But here is what was really cool, aside from meeting some people who are excited to meet someone who is clearly a geek in a museum. While we were watching the kids explore the discovery center, the grandmother asked me what I did and I told her – I’m a writer. About what? Humanism. I told her about my book – and she said it sounded wonderful. So far so good. Emboldened, I told her that my book is in use at the Royal Military College of Canada. She then turned to me and told me she was going to tell her son about the book because he is a colonel in the Coast Guard and he would probably like to know about the book. Wow! So, chance meeting in a museum, I’m open about my Humanism and not only do they not shy away and politely excuse themselves, they are interested in helping me promote Humanism in the US military!

It just goes to show you, you never know who it is you are meeting and you should not be shy about the fact you are a Humanist if it comes up. People really do respond positively to it. In fact, this woman was so positive, she has invited me and my son to join her at a local art museum where she is a member because she can get us in for free and it is something my son has REALLY wanted to do. So now I am looking forward to getting to know a very interesting woman who enjoys geeky things as much as I do and who not only didn’t spurn me because of my Humanism, but who gave me her phone number so she could get to know me better.

Moral of the story? Don’t hide your Humanism.