"Home is where your heart is..."
"Life is what you make it..."
"The day you stop wondering is the day you stop wandering..."
But what does it all mean?
Not everyone sets roots. I have always been envious of the people who've lived
in several countries, packing up their minimalist belongings and traveling the
globe searching for something to light their soul on fire. I have never been
that type, though.
I remember leaving for college - leaving my girlfriend and family back home 2
hours away. I didn't know anyone... I was cast into an unfamiliar world - and I
actually opted NOT to live with a guy I knew from college... I didn't want to be
stuck in high school for my life - especially my new life in COLLEGE!
It didn't take long to make friends on the floor of the dorm. In fact, 3 of the
friends I met in the first week or two at Appalachian State were in my wedding.
A strange fortune of friendships in such a small place - like a friendship Fort
Knox! I assume that is why I hold that place so dear in my heart.
Still - I have always been about my roots. I grew up in the south. I was (and
still am) proud of that. Everyone has select things that they allow to define
themselves - that's one of mine.
But - as you take these personal definitions with you through life, do they get
muttled? Lost? Do they lose value ... To you OR to the people around you? For
that matter - with such a transient nature now where people are encouraged to
relocated cross-country and further, is culture or "roots" still important?
A part of me could argue that we hold on to our roots (place of origin, etc) for
selfish reasons. Everyone wants to be from somewhere. Kind of like "if you
aren't somebody, you're nobody". I also think some heritages are more
predisposed to hold on to their roots. Example - everyone is Irish on St.
Patrick's Day. But, 365 days a year, immigrants from all countries speak their
native languages and migrate to areas traditionally occupied by people of
similar decent. This helps keep that identity that I think most domestic
relocators lose in their transition.
I am not saying that Italian-Americans are better or worse than
Mexican-Americans. I am not even claiming that a first generation immigrant from
Morocco is more tied to their heritage than a direct descendant of the first
settlers. My point is that the value of culture, roots, heritage, and "home" is
getting jaded and lost in today's world.
I could ask 100 people where "Home" is, and I could easily get 100 different
types of answers... Here are a few I could give:
Ireland (my mother's grandfather came over from County Cork)
England (my family name is English)
Charlotte, NC (where I was born and raised)
Columbus, OH (the metro area where I live)
Powell, OH (the town where my house resides)
242 Tyler Creek Ct (my street address)
My Car (I spend a ton of time driving)
My mind (I think too much)
The list goes on and on. And - I haven't lived that many places, nor have I
started raising children anywhere or investigated my German heritage... Where is
home?
Well...
I guess maybe it's everywhere. And, if you miss "home", what do you miss? Is it
YOU that you miss? The comfort of being somewhere familiar? So - does that are
it selfish to miss home? No - probably not.
It just means...
Home is where the heart is...
-D-
David R. Wooley
Category Manager
Anheuser-Busch
704-451-1143 (C)
314-445-3575 (F)
"Life is what you make it..."
"The day you stop wondering is the day you stop wandering..."
But what does it all mean?
Not everyone sets roots. I have always been envious of the people who've lived
in several countries, packing up their minimalist belongings and traveling the
globe searching for something to light their soul on fire. I have never been
that type, though.
I remember leaving for college - leaving my girlfriend and family back home 2
hours away. I didn't know anyone... I was cast into an unfamiliar world - and I
actually opted NOT to live with a guy I knew from college... I didn't want to be
stuck in high school for my life - especially my new life in COLLEGE!
It didn't take long to make friends on the floor of the dorm. In fact, 3 of the
friends I met in the first week or two at Appalachian State were in my wedding.
A strange fortune of friendships in such a small place - like a friendship Fort
Knox! I assume that is why I hold that place so dear in my heart.
Still - I have always been about my roots. I grew up in the south. I was (and
still am) proud of that. Everyone has select things that they allow to define
themselves - that's one of mine.
But - as you take these personal definitions with you through life, do they get
muttled? Lost? Do they lose value ... To you OR to the people around you? For
that matter - with such a transient nature now where people are encouraged to
relocated cross-country and further, is culture or "roots" still important?
A part of me could argue that we hold on to our roots (place of origin, etc) for
selfish reasons. Everyone wants to be from somewhere. Kind of like "if you
aren't somebody, you're nobody". I also think some heritages are more
predisposed to hold on to their roots. Example - everyone is Irish on St.
Patrick's Day. But, 365 days a year, immigrants from all countries speak their
native languages and migrate to areas traditionally occupied by people of
similar decent. This helps keep that identity that I think most domestic
relocators lose in their transition.
I am not saying that Italian-Americans are better or worse than
Mexican-Americans. I am not even claiming that a first generation immigrant from
Morocco is more tied to their heritage than a direct descendant of the first
settlers. My point is that the value of culture, roots, heritage, and "home" is
getting jaded and lost in today's world.
I could ask 100 people where "Home" is, and I could easily get 100 different
types of answers... Here are a few I could give:
Ireland (my mother's grandfather came over from County Cork)
England (my family name is English)
Charlotte, NC (where I was born and raised)
Columbus, OH (the metro area where I live)
Powell, OH (the town where my house resides)
242 Tyler Creek Ct (my street address)
My Car (I spend a ton of time driving)
My mind (I think too much)
The list goes on and on. And - I haven't lived that many places, nor have I
started raising children anywhere or investigated my German heritage... Where is
home?
Well...
I guess maybe it's everywhere. And, if you miss "home", what do you miss? Is it
YOU that you miss? The comfort of being somewhere familiar? So - does that are
it selfish to miss home? No - probably not.
It just means...
Home is where the heart is...
-D-
David R. Wooley
Category Manager
Anheuser-Busch
704-451-1143 (C)
314-445-3575 (F)
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