Yeah, some things may not be exactly how I would like them to be in my life right now (such as being separated from my best friend/husband) but I am proud for exactly who I have become and what I am working to achieve. So overall I would say I am pretty darn content.
I know judgments will come and go but I am NOT ashamed in the very slightest for having two sweet babies and a Mexican husband. (illegal or not!) In fact, I'm so proud of the family Jose and I have made together. I couldn't ask for a better life or anything more.. AND just because I have a family does not mean I can't continue and finish school, live in exotic places, and someday have the job of my dreams.
Anyway, with all these feelings running around I thought I would share a little of a self-exploration paper about my personal culture for my Cultural Anthropology class that I wrote this week:
In explaining my own culture, I would have to say it is southern with a lot of spice. I was born to a mother from the green valleys of East Tennessee and a father born and bred in the open-minded state of California. This made for an interesting combination of values and beliefs that they would find important to instill in their children. One thing I can be very proud of when taking a self-exploration journey of my culture is that I am very aware that I come from a very tolerant family who accepts others for their own eccentricities. I am the last of six children and we were all very lucky to each have our own artistic talents which promised to always keep our family in the company of very diverse individuals. Whether this is based on culture, talents, religious beliefs, or even values, my culture is one that accepts. My culture is very tolerant. My culture loves others for who they are and does not attempt to change those individuals.
My culture that I was raised in and that has remained my own does not care about money. Being the last of six children, I grew up in a lot of hand-me-downs. It wasn’t until high school that I actually started liking clothing items that were different from what everyone else was wearing. It was around this time that I started to realize that my mother was right all along. “It isn’t what someone is wearing that makes them who they are..It is what they are inside that really matters.” It was also around this time that I started dating and attempting to make life-long friendships. Thankfully, with my own growth, I tried to pick individuals for both of these categories that had characteristics that I really and truly loved. Looking back, I also think I was in a mad attempt to pick and fix individuals who were lacking in some emotional or financial category. Though I made many of mistakes in those years, I can look back and see that my intentions really were clean and based on a very non-judgmental perspective. This cultural characteristic of being a non-admirer of material wealth really has protected me from quite a bit the last couple years and even led me into some of the best relationships I could ever ask for.
The culture that makes me who I am remains beautiful and exceptional. I love where I came from and who I have become through self-exploration. I love that growing up I would eat beans and cornbread with my ‘Mammaw’ every Tuesday night but our foreign exchange student from Korea would be there eating with us. I love that my culture is so unique because it is full of men who open doors for women and children who are taught that they should say ‘Yes Sir and Yes Ma’am’. I love that the tolerance I was taught as a child brought me to the place I am today with a wonderful Mexican husband who has a very exciting culture of his own. I love that my culture is so giving and the giving process is so anti-boastful. I love who I have become because of the very culture in which I was raised.
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