Who Are We???

Isn’t it both???

Don’t our experiences help to determine who we are?

A baby is born sweet, innocent, unknowing, afraid of nothing or no one.

It is the environment – surroundings – that shape a person. We as humans have no prejudice against our fellow humans until someone exudes their own attitudes and thoughts on the subject.

Who decided that people with a different colour skin is a lesser person?

Who decided that one religion is better than another?

Who decided that a person who looks different is “dumb”?

Who decided that one language is not “good enough” to be spoken and those who dare to use it are punished???

Who decided it was okay for one group of people to “own” another group of people???

Who decided how we should behave??? What does “act your age” really mean. I love the response, I can’t, I’ve never been this age before!

No one really knows where all of this started, but those who came before influence and helped to shape those than come along.

If you see me and you see my dad; there is absolutely no doubt as to whom I belong. I am nearly my dad’s twin. In fact, when a friend asks me about my dad, she says how’s your twin? But, I am more like my dad than looks; he and I have the same thoughts on many things. A number of my musical choices are because of my dad. My concepts of right and wrong have been shaped by my dad.

It’s funny, if my mother tells me to do or not do something, if I don’t agree or like it, I may argue with her or now that I am an adult, I might just ignore her; BUT if my dad tells me to do or not do something, I simply say, “yes sir”…no argument!

Years ago, the New York Special Olympics held a fundraisers that involved people getting pledges for repelling down the side of the Seneca Niagara Resort Hotel…some 300 feet from the roof to the pool deck on the third floor.

In covering the event, I could stand on the pool deck and watch them repel or if I wanted to cover them getting ready to go over…or even give it a try (NO WAY!), I would have rig up.

I was talking with my dad about the event and was telling him about all of this. When I mentioned going up on the roof, dad immediately gave me a very emphatic NO!

That was that; dad had spoken!

I covered the event from the pool deck and got plenty of shots. LOL, I even captured a shot of people opening their draperies to find someone repelling down the side of the hotel! I can only image the shock and comments!

We are who we are partially from our own mind, but even then our surroundings and experiences have a major role in the affair.