An Italian man who also speaks Spanish and English is my hairstylist. I always look forward to seeing him because he offers me the European perspective on the state of the world. Our conversations meander, touching on politics, culture, and how our families’ backgrounds are so similar—but happened on different sides of the planet.

I sat in the chair today and listened to him talk about his parents’ lives after WWII, which very much resembled my grandparents’ lives in rural Kentucky.

Two families separated by distance and language—eking out the same type of existence in a rural environment.

Sometimes, it’s good to remember that we all really are more alike than different.