Running head: HUMANS HAVE WORTH

Humans Have Worth

Brittany T. Anderson
University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Running head: HUMANS HAVE WORTH

HUMANS HAVE WORTH

The Same Kind of Different as Me is a book that inspires people by telling the
true story of an unlikely friendship between two grown men. Ron, a wealthy white man
living in Fort Worth, Texas, met Denver, an African American homeless man, at a local
homeless mission where he was volunteering. Although these men grew up in America
at relatively the same time, both experienced very different childhoods. Denver lived on
a plantation in Louisiana, where he was more or less a slave even though slavery was
outlawed 50 years prior to his birth. Ron lived in a small rural city in Texas and had little
to worry about in life. He did not grow up well off, but he always had what he needed.
When these two men meet they were not instant friends. Actually it took time and effort
on both sides to become good friends. In the end though, these two help each other
through one of the roughest time of both their lives. Without the support of one another
neither would have been able to sustain their faith in God.
The message that really spoke to me throughout this book was human worth.
Rons wife, Deborah, is an example throughout the story as someone who loves people
because she sees that each human has worth in Gods eyes and therefore they have
worth in her eyes. About halfway through the book Deborah gets involved in the
homeless mission in Fort Worth on a regular basis. She and Ron serve dinner every
Tuesday night. While the men, woman, and children are walking through the line to get
food she asks them their name and how their lives are going. In my experience most

HUMANS HAVE WORTH

people, who help out at something like a soup kitchen are just there to get in, do what
theyre suppose to do, and get out. Deborah, though, was more concerned about the
individuals lives and their walk with God. As I read on through the book it showed how
the people at the mission saw her sincerity. The way that she unconditionally loved
these people she barely knew touched me. It made me question how I view others and
if I treat each individual I come in contact with as person who has great worth or as just
another individual to whom I must interact with.
When Denver was young he was never taught reading, writing, or arithmetic.
Instead, he spent his days working in the fields. He knew nothing about the world
around him including events such as World War II and the Korean War. The only trade
he ever learned was how to pick cotton. I was shocked when I read this especially
because he grew up in the 1930s and 1940s, which was nearing a century since slavery
had been abolished. The owner of the plantation kept the families there by saying they
still had debts owed to him. Since no one ever learned to read or write they had no way
of proving that they owed him nothing. The masters of these plantations and others had
a very low view of human worth. They did not acknowledge the fact that these humans
have rights just as anyone else.
As I was having thoughts of anger towards these people I read a portion where
Denver expresses his belief that in some ways it is not their fault. He explains how these

HUMANS HAVE WORTH

people were raised this way and so they never questions what they were doing. That hit
home for me. I then asked myself, How many times have I thought one way towards a
person or group of people just because that is the way my culture thinks about those
individuals? No, I do not force anyone to work for me but I also do not always realize
the full extent of a humans worth. I can be quick to judge by the way a person is
dressed simply because that is not the way I or people I grew up around dressed. When
someone speaks with a certain accent I can often assume what kind of economic status
they come from simply because the people that grew up around with a similar economic
status to me did not have accent like that. I was able to point out several areas such as
these in my life.
Along with being convicted of my unconscious attitude towards certain individuals
I was also shocked that Denver would be able to sit back and say that sometimes it is
not their fault. He must be a kind hearted individual to have been through such a harsh
life and still forgive those who wronged him. Denver also had another view of human
worth. He saw all people equally. Most of us try to do this. We try to treat everyone the
same, but so often we let our basis get in the way. To Denver it was clear. God had
made everyone and loves each person the same, so why shouldnt he. We all do wrong
things, but we all have worth despite these horrible actions. Another example of
Denvers ability to see human worth was when he assisted an ailing elderly man on a

HUMANS HAVE WORTH

regular basis. He would go over to the government funded nursing home (a disgusting
excuse for a nursing home) where the man lived and change him, help him with his daily
tasks, and just spend time with him. At first glance this seems nice, but then when you
hear that this man hated African Americans and often spat on Denver you beg the
question, Why would he ever want to help such an evil old man. The answer: because
Denver new that this man, however horrible he was, has worth in this world. It is not his
responsibility to judge the man or change his views on things, but to help him in his time
of need.
Ron is my last example of a character who showed some version of human
worth. I believe that he is the one, who had to learn the most about human worth
throughout his life. He didnt want anything to do with the homeless mission, the needy,
or the other side of the tracks as the saying goes. His wife, Deborah, forced him to come
along and help her. Although he started off dreading his weekly visits to the mission the
people there really began to change his heart. When he and Denver started to get close
he still saw himself as the leader in the friendship. The one who knows everything about
life and is going to impart wisdom to his other half. That view came crumbling down as
he got to knew Denver more and more. When Deborah gets sick and is at deaths door,
who is the one he turns to? Denver. Who are the people that he is constantly in awe of
and thankful for? The homeless at the mission, who pray without ceasing for Deborah.

HUMANS HAVE WORTH

Ron learns that even though these people may come from different backgrounds and
experiences that does not mean that they are any less of a person than he is. They all
have worth. Without Denvers support Ron would have grieved uncontrollably. It took his
wifes death for him to fully understand the human worth of individuals that do not act,
look, or understand things exactly like you do.
The Same Kind of Difference as Me inspired me continue working on having an
open mind. I realized while reading this that, even though I was never taught to judge
people or think differently about their worth in the world, it is just something that has
naturally formed due to the culture that I live in. Moving forward I want to make a
conscious effort to see all individuals as people, who can change the world. I want to
focus on the amazing attributes that each individual has and help them reach their full
potential. Every human has worth and I want to be someone, who is an advocate for
spreading that knowledge.