Elements of Culture

Throughout history, we have adjusted our culture through the addition, subtraction, and evolution of certain elements. These adjustments affect all of us. In my life, I have found three cultural elements without my life would be exceedingly dull. Those three are music, school, and friendship.

To me, music serves as a sanctuary. I can retreat into a small corner or the top bunk of my bed with my Ipod just to escape life. There I will listen to The Beatles, Bob Dylan, even The Lion King soundtrack, just to get away from the world. I begin, end, and spend much of the time in between with my music. Finally, music serves me spiritually. Through music, I can reach my soul. I can feel it and let the music reach the deep corners of my mind.

Part of my accessibility to music, however, is due to school. School is my preparation for the future. Whatever I will need later in life I can obtain at school. Not only is it my preparation for the future, it is the representation of the future. It serves as a reflection of life, for in life you must work hard and learn from your mistakes in order to obtain a reward that you cannot see. Only when you are near the finish do you realize what great a reward it was and only then can you see the reward you have been given. One of the greatest gifts you obtain from school, however, is the random things you pick up on the way.

Some of those random things are not things at all, but people. These random people, or to be exact, friends, are the third element of my culture. My friends are my allies, who see me through my tough fights. They make my life and my learning fun by sharing it; replacing the “me” with “we.” They are also my guides, leading me into the social world. With them I can get away from my troubles for a time, and without them I would not be who I am.

These three elements of music, school, and friends make up a large portion of my culture. I use these elements as tools to get through life with the preparation, the support and the peaceful mind it takes to survive. In other words, they are my connection to my mind, my world, and the people around me.