Between work, family, friends, and significant others, most of us are forced to relate to people with whom we don’t see eye-to-eye on a daily basis. But as daily media coverage of distant places like Iraq suggests, the struggle to relate to others is also a global one, as we deal with differences both unfamiliar and surprisingly similar.

In this month’s issue of InTheFray, we examine some of these struggles to see eye-to-eye with people who can often seem to be a world apart — even when they’re just a few inches away. At home in the United States, Stacy Torian takes a look at the difficulties faced by working class academics, who can lack the resources and pedigrees of their more privileged peers, in “Breaking through the class ceiling.” Former prescription drug addict Alexis Luna, meanwhile, exposes her own struggle to get over “The joy of six milligrams” and to have healthier relationships with people — including herself.

On the subject of illness, Chip Chipman illuminates how the spirit of the legendary uniter and healer, Mother Theresa, lives on after her death. Through his vivid photographs, Chipman reveals Mother Theresa’s impact on San Francisco masseuse Mary Ann Finch, who runs a massage institute for the homeless, in “Touching the untouchables.”

Halfway around the world, two ITF contributors share their struggles to relate to others in the Middle East and Africa. Writing in a time of war, Andrew Blackwell shares the skepticism he felt while producing pro-Western video clips during Afghanistan’s first election in“Democracy, Middle East-style.”

Providing insight on the role everyday practices play in reminding us of what it means to be alive, ITF Contributing Artist Josh Arseneau shares his photographs from the Gambia.

Rounding out this month’s stories is ITF Assistant Managing Editor and Columnist Russell Cobb’s “Go ahead, make my next four years,” an insightful look at the Religious Right’s inability to transform Hollywood’s liberal ways — despite harsh criticism of Clint Eastwood’s Oscar-winning film “Million Dollar Baby.”

Coming later this month: stories celebrating women’s history. And in April, check back for an issue concerning belonging — something we all know about, for better or worse.

Laura Nathan, InTheFray Editor
Brooklyn, New York

Laura Nathan-Garner