Culture is where we come from, who we are now, and where we are going. Culture is what makes us unique, interesting individuals. Culture is the binding force between your family, friends, and nation. My culture is privileged and high-tech. My culture is fun loving, invigorating, and free; it encompasses high moral standards. I am who I am because of my family and friends, my leisure activities, my style of dress, and numerous aspects of my individuality are defined by my personal culture.
My friends and family influence my personal culture in numerous ways. They influence the way I dress. My friends’ feedback is very important to me. I dress to impress; I dress to feel confident. This is a two way street: I influence how my mom and sisters dress as well. Everyone is linked. My friends and family influence the way I speak. I utilize the same idioms and phraseology as them. I learned not to swear or use offensive language from my parents. My Utah accent, that sounds familiar to those residing in Utah, sounds completely foreign if I go even just a state away. My culture does not only define who I am, it enables me to help define who my friends and family are, what we do, and what I believe.
My leisure activities are also defined by my culture. For fun, I do what other people around me do, I do what is expected of a girl my age in my household, and I do what my personal morals and beliefs define as acceptable. Last year I was a cheerleader. I still dance, workout, and do yoga, because physical fitness is a very important part of my life, because my peers, the media, and my parents define it. I love going to football and other sports games. I enjoy shopping so very much. I enjoy going to the movies with friends. In the past, I didn’t tell people how much I read (which is rather often) because I believed my peers defined it as “uncool.” It is crazy how much your culture defines one’s life and especially one’s beliefs.
My morals are defined by my culture. It is very strongly my belief to help out the less fortunate, be kind to everyone, be honest, and be virtuous. I am a member of the LDS Church, and it defines who I am immensely. However, my mom is no longer a member, and she has thoroughly investigated numerous religions, and so I am not biased because I have heard every side of the story. I believe learning is very important. Not just in school, but in everyday situations as well. I believe there is a learning opportunity in everything. I strive to be my best. These beliefs and values are entirely defined by my culture.
My culture is intricate. It juxtaposes limits with freedom. My culture insinuates that limits create freedom. My culture is going to a packed football stadium on a warm summer night and watching brilliant fireworks’ vibrant colors unfold against the dusk. It defines nearly every aspect of who I am, who my friends are, and who my family is. They affect me, and in return, I affect them. My culture is the rush of adrenaline from performing cheers in front of a packed field under bright lights, as my football team takes on the opposition head-to-head. My culture is going for a long walk with my sisters at sunset under falling fall leaves. My culture is creating gingerbread houses, snowmen, and wrapping presents when it is too cold outside to go and play. My culture is scouring the house for loose change and riding my bike with my sister to go get a rainbow snow cone when the sun shines down. My culture is who I am. My culture is everything.