Before moving to Texas, I lived in a rural area of South Carolina called Little Mountain, right outside of Chapin and about 30 minutes from Columbia, the capitol. My family is Catawba Indian and German. We are an odd mix, but we have a deep-rooted connection to each other and the South. Much of my extended family still lives in the country, and I have close relatives throughout the Carolinas, Georgia, and Tennessee. Since we were so far from everything, my life in South Carolina was pretty basic. I had a much simpler life than I do now, and I appreciated the little things and never thought about much else. I would play outside with my brother every day, since we did not have cable television. Riding my bike outside, sitting by our pond, and playing in the tree house my dad built me, all felt right, and I did not desire anything more. I learned to be independent and since we were so far out of town, I became very close to my brother and cousins, giving us a wonderful relationship today.
Upon moving to Texas, everything changed. We went from being a low maintenance Southern family, to upgrading to a large neighborhood. I was excited for the change, but at the same time, resentful towards my parents for taking me away from everyone and everything I knew. When they say everything is bigger in Texas, it is true. Austin, Texas was such a shock. I was the only one at my new school with a deep South Carolina accent, and I immediately trained myself to lose it because of how everyone mocked me. I felt like I didn’t fit in, and I tried extremely hard to do so. Before moving to Texas, I had no idea what the popular name brands were and what activities were “cool”. Once I realized that no one rode their bike in my neighborhood, I stopped riding my bike. I rarely played outside after the move, and I turned to watching TV and wanting a cell phone. I changed into a kid that was focused on getting my nails done and going to the mall to get the latest clothes, instead of the down to earth girl I was before.
To this day, I believe that I would be a completely different person if I had never moved to Texas. I would much more relaxed and a lot less of a “diva” about things. I realize that I can still go back to being the adventurous, fun-loving girl that I used to be, and I strive every day to stay grounded. Life should not be about status or material items. Life should be about family, nature, and enjoying the things you love. No one should ever tell you what the right thing to like is or how you should dress. I want to raise my children in the country, with their family, so that they will learn the core values that I did as a kid. I agree that neighborhoods and fancy architecture are great, but I also think that we are losing the ability to see the beauty of nature and family that is right in front of us.
Growing up in the country like that sounds so nice! It always makes me sad that most kids today would rather play video games or watch TV. I was always outside when I was younger too. I think it would be great to raise my kids that way. That more relaxed, country lifestyle sounds great right now with all the craziness in these last few weeks of school.
ReplyDeleteAnna,
ReplyDeleteIt’s funny…I remember having class with you last year. Now I sit next to you in Professor Williams’ class…but I learned more about you from reading this blog rather than having known you, more or less, for a year. It’s nice to get to know you a little beyond the classroom! I admire your sense of perspective as you look back into growing up, seeing yourself as you tried to fit in to what everyone else seemed to be…I know I can relate – trying to be something “acceptable” (whatever that means!) and almost losing yourself in the process. We change, learn, grow… “C’est la vie.”
I'm so jealous of how you grew up. The best time I spend every year is time outside at the ranch, whether it be sitting on the tank calling ducks in, fishing on the Bosque, or just exploring the land. I like to think that I'm more rugged than the city boy I know I kind of am haha.
ReplyDelete