The Origins of Me

I am a second generation American. I am a child of the children of the Depression. I am Slovak, Gypsy, English, Scotch, Cherokee. I am the son of an orphan. I am a hillbilly, a Michigander, an Arizonan. I come from Baptists and heathens. I come from science and literature, nature and education. I am a Baby Boomer. I am a child of the generation that walked on the moon, fought for civil rights, rediscovered the voice of protest, and fought for the environment. I am the American melting pot. I am all of these things and none of these things. I originate from many places and cultures, yet no one of them quite defines me.

So who am I? What defines my culture? I come from a family of six children from two different fathers; I am both the middle child and the eldest child. We have not traditionally been a particularly close family. I hope that changes with my children and their children. I hope we are always close. I have no desire to ever be distant from them, physically or otherwise. I want to be connected by knowing where they are, that they are healthy, to help them when I can, to be there one day when they realize I always meant well.

I hope my children believe they come from a culture of fairness and equity, of social responsibility, and a sense that doing right and choosing well are the most important things they can do for themselves and the world around them. I hope they have a sense that it is important to preserve the natural world around them and to protect species that cannot protect themselves. I want them to know that none of us is perfect. We all make mistakes and none of us manages to skate through without ever compromising. Sometimes we even have to compromise on those things we don't think should ever be compromised; sometimes we are weak.

Do my desires, thoughts, and opinions originate in some distant past? Are my origins the blueprint of my now and my future? I don't know. None of us knows. True or not, I choose to think we are not locked in to our behaviors. Our history is unchangeable, learning from it is optional, but never does it mandate acquiescence to a predetermined future. Changing our habits and our behaviors is never easy, but it is possible. Whatever my origins, I hope my future simply reflects those things I want for my family and the world that looms before me.