My Family Culture

The following blog is in response to this scenario:


A major catastrophe has almost completely devastated the infrastructure of your country. The emergency government has decided that the surviving citizens will be best served if they are evacuated to other countries willing to take refugees. You and your immediate family are among the survivors of this catastrophic event. However, you have absolutely no input into the final destination or in any other evacuation details. You are told that your host country’s culture is completely different from your own, and that you might have to stay there permanently. You are further told that, in addition to one change of clothes, you can only take 3 small items with you. You decide to take three items that you hold dear and that represent your family culture.



What I would bring with me if I had to evacuate...

Photographs: The first item I would choose would be a thumb drive with all of my photographs. Especially those of family and friends.

Music: I would want to have all of my favorite music with me.

Kindle: Books, books, and more books!

To explain to someone else what these items mean to me seems simple. Photographs and music are connected to memories of the time I have spent with loved ones. This is why they are both so important to me. I could use them to escape into my memories; they evoke feelings of love and connectedness.

Books are also sometimes about making connections between my own life and the characters. But I think the reason I love books most is that I was taught to enjoy and appreciate them from a very young age. My mom was always taking us to the library and bookstores. She read to us often and encouraged us to read on our own, as well. She modeled that reading is important and enjoyable. Whenever I talk with my mom we always discuss what we are currently reading. Reading has always been an engrained part of my life. In fact, my sister is an author, taking her love of books to the next level to pursue it as a profession.

The most important realization that I had while working through what I wanted to take with me on this imaginary journey was that all of the things I would take are important because they hold memories of important times in my life. I came to realize that my family culture is immersed in making memories together. We cherish the experiences that bond us together much more than any material possessions.

So, if I found upon arriving that I could keep only one item it would be hard but the memories could not be erased. I would still be able to remember the times I spent with my family and friends that those material items would remind me of. Those memories are the most important thing I could take along with me.