Speaking of Culture

I'm American and I would change the obsession with material things that so many people in my culture seem to have. Moms work when they could afford to stay home, just so they can have things like a boat or a bigger house or a huge television or they think their kids need all the latest toys. Fathers work long hours, 50-60 a week so that their families can have more material goods when all the children really want is mom and dad. That's what I would change. If I could change that, my country would be so much different and so much better.

When I left my birthplace I was eager to go away from the physical location, but also from the narrow minded attitudes of most of the people around me. I was so eager to get away, that it could probably be said that I threw out some of the baby with the bathwater, if you know that expression. For example, there were wholesome and good foods that I refused to eat, just because those were things we ate "back there." After many years, I came to realize that although leaving most of my "roots" behind was a very good thing, there were some values and habits from my upbringing that had value and could be maintained. So now I eat some of those foods, and use a few of those expressions. What I don't honor or respect, however, is the disdain for education that "my" people demonstrated and the insular attitudes retained by those who look down on words such as "culture" as exemplified by a close relative who refused to go inside a museum with the rest of the family while vacationing together because as he put it, "I don't want any culture!"

In my culture I would like to see the government giving more money to schools for things they need, to the Hospitals to bring them up to date and not closing them down when there are more and more people who need them, not for them to have such huge salarys and bigger payrises let alone giving themselves money for their second houses as that money could go to the poor and needy,for them to Listen to the people and hear what they need and want done in the country to make it a safer place to live in...there are many things I would like to see happen in my culture but too much to put here. Thanks for this is a good discussion relundad and good you brought it up as we can all air our feelings on this...littleowl

Hi relundad. The people of my country some times have a narrow minded for some things. I don't like too the mentality of "only the new is good". When something new appear everyone wants only this. The excess of religiosity is another thing I don't like because it comes to hypocrisy. Have a nice day.