Growing up in the Detroit area, American and Italian dishes were about all I ate. Except for the occasional exotic plate of La Choy chop suey that my mom threw together, I didn’t even want to taste other types of food, reasoning that I already knew what I liked.
Then came my four years of active duty in the U.S. Navy. I made it to Vietnam, the Philippines, Japan and more Pacific areas on a heavy attack cruiser; I was stationed in Rota, Spain, on a nuclear-powered fleet ballistic missile submarine and traveled Europe on the side; I spent my final five months sailing completely around South America, hitting 28 ports in nine countries and Puerto Rico and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Along the way, I think I tried every type of food I saw, and I absolutely loved all but two or three. Today, more often than not, I prefer Thai, Hungarian, Mexican, Cuban, Mediterranean, Barbacoa or a nice assortment of sushi with wasabi to most American fare. In fact, my tastes in practically everything changed dramatically while I was in the Navy, and I truly did see the world. For me, it was indeed an adventure.

It also opened up my eyes and mind to the world of art and culture — everything from street drawings and graffiti in Rio to the old and new masters in Spain, France and Italy. From bullfight paintings rendered by an artist-matador in actual bull’s blood to illuminated manuscripts burnished with gold leaf. From Salvador Dali to prints from New Delhi.

This truly surprised me. Of course, growing up in the Detroit area, I went on the requisite high school field trips to the area’s museums, and I thought I knew what I loved: French impressionism. Nothing could compare, and I wouldn’t give anything else the time of day.

Yet now, I enjoy nearly all art, especially when I can learn something about the artist and the intent of the piece. Today, I can spend hours in any type of museum or gallery, marveling and wondering at the creativity, technique and composition as I attempt to negotiate the meaning.

Tastes change over time, I know, but there was something else at work here. Traveling all over the world, I met residents of many different lands and cultures, and I found that people are pretty much the same worldwide.

My time in the Navy made me take a closer look at our own culture, too, and compare it with others. Here in the U.S., we speak differently in more places than we speak alike. We dress ourselves in clothing emblazoned with our favorite sports teams, bands, brands, sayings and logos. The body coverage and fabric quantities of our clothing choices run the gamut from hoodies and oversized shorts to pants and high-tops and six-inch heels and wide belts masquerading as dresses.

And we think some people from other countries dress strange?
Over time, I’ve been exposed to more and more different things, people, art and cultures in situations where I couldn’t escape the exposure, just like going out on the water for a day of fishing without sunblock and a hat. There’s no place to escape the sun. You just have to stick it out.

And, lo and behold, as this exposure grew, my interest and liking of new and different things, people, places, foods, art, music and cultures grew and burned, like exposure to the sun can lead to a bad sunburn. It’s like when Mikey, the boy in the vintage Life cereal TV ad who hated everything, takes a bite of Life, and his siblings — who won’t try the cereal — surprisingly exclaim, “He likes it! Hey, Mikey!” You know they’re all going to grab a bowl and try it.

In the end, I found there are very few people, foods, music, art or cultures I’ve tried that I don’t like. Trying them made all the difference. I’m sure the same is true for the myriad of offerings on the MSU campus. On any given day and evening, there are probably a half-dozen arts and culture events you probably would like — and in some cases, even love — if you only would give them a try.

You just have to expose yourself.

Mike Jenkins is a State News guest columnist. Reach him at jenki250@msu.edu.