In all honesty, I struggled with what to chose to bring with me to my fictitious new country. I have read about families who have left their worldly possessions behind to begin a new life in the United States and only had their clothes on their backs. At first, I thought about bring my genealogical research with me as I worked on this project for years and have my roots traced back to the 1700s. I wouldn't want to lose that, but does that represent our family? I was absolutely sure I would take my computer, but with not knowing about electricity and chargers, it may be obsolete in no time.
I then reflected upon what our daily routines are and life in general and came up with these three items:
1. My Bible - Not knowing what would lie ahead in the new country and what belief system would be instilled, I would find comfort in knowing that God is with us and will help us make sense of the new surroundings. We have recently began attending church on a regular basis and have learned so much over these last few months. I want to continue in our faith walk.
2. Our dog Zoey - We have had her in our family for 4 years. She has had some anxiety issues and we are her rock. She is like having a fourth child. My children believe the sun rises and sets with her and we could never leave her behind. I would hope no one would attempt to eat her.
3. A soccer ball - My husband is an avid fan of soccer and has instilled the love of the game into all of our children. Many nights we head outside just to kick it around.
If I were told I needed to give up 2 items upon arrival, I would be devastated. I do not know how I would chose as each of these items have a huge significance to who my family has become. I'm sure we could improvise with something to make a soccer ball, but giving up my Bible and my dog are out of the question. I sound like a country song!
The exercise this week truly hit home. I felt the connection and loss of identity in reflecting upon what to take and how I would feel if I were forced to give items up. I felt protective of my items as this would be all I would have left of a life once lived. Even now that I have chosen 3 items, I feel anxious about that decision and wonder if something else would have been better. How can we equate our lives to three items? The panelists in our video this week were right....culture is everything of who we are and what we represent (Laureate Educ., Inc., n.d.).
Reference
Laureate Educ., Inc. (n.d.). Family cultures: Dynamic interactions. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_4210478_1%26url%3D
Arlene, I loved reading about your three items. Thinking about equating our lives to three items certainly touches us at our core, doesn’t it? I agree that this exercise was very impactful. This activity spurred some deep thoughts and reflection about the meaning of family culture. Your post provides real insight on the culture of your family—thank you for sharing with your colleagues. -Susan
ReplyDeleteArlene,
DeleteI couldn't agree more! It was a really tough decision to choose only 3 items and then to narrow it down to two seemed almost impossible. This assignment for me really did put things into perspective in rearguards to what family culture really is. I see now that it does come down to who we are and what we do.
I felt anxious about my choices also Arlene. I pretended that my dogs would be with us in our jouney and tried to focus on items. I also decided that I would be able to power up my iPad so I could have photos and I have a bible app downloaded already. It felt a bit like cheating so I settle at last on a special family photo and decided our family stories and history could be preserved orally. Thinking about immigrant families and American Indian families through history is what brought me to this decision. Tough stuff to think about!!
ReplyDeleteArlene,
ReplyDeleteTrying to define your life with just three items was so difficult. I just thought to myself, the things that are really important are not tangible. Most of our culture is inside our hearts and embedded in us. I like how you pointed out that immigrants feel this way each day, when they come to America.
Hi Arlene,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you about this week's assignment. It is a total eye opener. I found out that I don't have any true links to any culture that my ancestors may have had. My culture has definitely been loss throughout the years. Besides a few recipes, I think that my family has adapted to the dominant culture in our society.
Sherry
I too said I would bring my dog. A soccer ball is a great idea. I love soccer and would enjoy playing in the other culture we were thrown into. Soccer is something that allows me to get rid of all my stress, great three things!
ReplyDeleteAww this is so sweet. your dog is a part of your family and I would be really emotional if they made you choose one item. I like how you told us what you though you would bring first and then you thought about it a second time. This exercise required alot of thought.
ReplyDelete