Well, hello there. My name is Morgan Harbor Nichols. I'm an artist and a writer, and this is a space where I share words that I hope can make a little room for you to slow down and take a few deep breaths as you prepare for whatever lies ahead. Thanks for being here today. And now on to today's episode. It is no secret that we as people benefit greatly from

diversity. However, one thing that I've recognized is that we don't just learn about diversity by talking to other people or by studying other people even, but by maybe observing animals and seeing how they can teach us about diversity.

So today I want to share with you a few things that I've been learning about

dolphins and how they communicate with one another and what that's taught me about diversity. And I hope

that this can connect with you too. One of the most fascinating things about dolphins is their

signature whistles. Dauphins have their signature whistles.

Dauphins have different signature whistles because of the way their throats are shaped or what sounds they were exposed to while growing up. These signature whistles are used to identify each

animal. And dolphins also use these signature whistles to stay in contact with each other

when they become separated from their pod. In the water, dolphins have their own whistles like

names that are given to them at birth to help them find each other during group interactions. And what I think that we can learn from

dolphins, well, many things, but one of those things is that it is possible to participate in a group

while preserving beautiful intentional diversity. Each dolphin has a different voice. Each dolphin has a unique role.

Every individual contributes to the whole in their own unique way. And when I think about the many

variety of names and stories we as humans have and even the specific tones of each of our voices.

I'm just amazed at how complex we all are. And while this complexity is beautiful, it also explains

why so many of us struggle to feel connected in the world and to find our people.

And when you hear so many different voices and names being called out to one another, it can

become easy to feel like our voices don't matter as much as others. We might feel like everyone else is connecting in a way that we

will never be able to. But what dolphins show us is that what makes our voices unique doesn't keep us

from belonging. With our unique names, stories, and ways of communicating, we can still find connection with one

another. And as I think about the different sounds that doffins are able to, you know, speak and

use as they communicate with each other, I think about growing up as a little kid in church choir and my voice was on the deeper side

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