Given the hypothetical situation that a catastrophe has occurred and that my family is to be relocated to a very different country with only three personal items that reflect my family culture, what would I choose to bring?
First, and this may sound strange, but I would bring a book. "Elmer the Patchwork Elephant". It is a favorite of my son's, but is also the story of difference, self-acceptance, and appreciation of others. It's a book we have read many times, not just for the color pictures, but for the lesson that it imparts, and a reflection of my own values and beliefs, my culture.
Second, I would bring a photo album, as it is a depiction of our lives, a starting point for stories, memories, and lessons from our past. It in would be photos from our immediate and extended family. It is a record of not only our time together, but also a record of our culture in time.
I actually really struggle to identify a third item. Honestly, if we were being relocated for an undetermined amount of time, it feels as though it is the other culture that we should be learning about more than clinging to vestiges of a ravaged one. And, not being a huge fan at times of our own dominant culture, I'm not sure that this is something I would want to perpetuate. I don't have close ties to the cultures of my family's ancestry (Norwegian, Irish, and English), so items of this nature would not be important. The best I can suppose would be, yet again, books. So, a Kindle packed with classic literature (as a reflection of the culture historically) and stories that impart lessons that I want my child to learn would likely be third on the list.
Were I told that, upon arrival, only one item could be saved, I would likely feel quite naked, but in a sense liberated as well. I've moved a lot, given up most of my possessions at one time or another (moved across country with only what would fit in my Civic Hatchback at the time), and enjoyed the freedom of diving into a new place and reinventing myself a little along the way. However, that was never forced upon me, and never did a have a child to consider. No matter what item I choose to keep, it is going to be the sacred art of storytelling that carries on our culture. So, I would likely leave it to my son to choose, as he would be the one that would find the most connection to the item.
Doing this exercise revealed to me, once again, to power of literature and written word as a form of cultural identification. Literature provides a snapshot of culture in time, as well as a way to discuss values and beliefs that have served or not served the group. It also showed me what little ties I have to the dominant culture in many ways. Now, it's most likely that my reactions would be quite different where this event to actually occur, and who knows what I would "need", but having worked so long in hospice with the dying, I know that it is the stories and the memories that are most important in the end, for these are the ways that we construct our own realities and define ourselves, our families, and our culture.
Fingers crossed it's not tomorrow, but if it is, Elmer is going with us.
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