Your roots are where you were raised, its cultural influences and the impact it’s made on your life. We all have them, whether you feel like honoring them or not, and they have a lasting impact on shaping who you are today.
Lee played a gig in his hometown for their Heritage Day. He was nostalgic, honoring the traditions of his small-town life, with old friends and family showing up for the event. There were stories and lots of fondness. While not everyone can or wants to do that, it’s special when it happens, making me consider what’s important in honoring your roots.
Here are some things that come to mind:
EACH PLACE HAS A CULTURAL INFLUENCE
Every place you’ve lived as a child has beliefs, values, and customs that shape traditions, along with the influences of the land, food, music, dialect, and religions. I grew up in the Philippines and rural Pennsylvania before moving to Montgomery AL at age 10. There are many contrasting and influential aspects to these places from the beauty and kindness of people in Mindanao, my mother’s lovely home and garden in PA, to the strong values of my family during the racial conflicts in Montgomery.
WHAT YOU PUSH AWAY SHAPES YOU TOO
Lee couldn’t wait to leave small-town rural Kentucky to make his own way, rejecting the monotony of small-town life. I couldn’t wait to leave the strict social traditions and prejudices of the south. The rejection of these things forced us to consider what we do want – a life of openness, with a variety of people and experiences.
YOUR HONORING CAN HELP LIFT A PLACE UP
Lee was strongly influenced by the neighborly way people look after each other lifting one another up, incorporating that into his life now. Even his being there, speaking fondly of his experiences lifts the place up. We met a local women who is on the city council, preserving the history and bringing new life into the small town with a coffee shop, music and a bar. I’ve done training workshops to help Auburn and Montgomery address social justice reform. It’s satisfying to help create positive change in places where you have roots.
How have your roots influenced you? Reach out if you’d like to explore it.
