Do You Know Where You Are From

Some years back a friend asked this question on her blog: “How do you know where you’re from?”

It’s an interesting question and you can go shallow or deep with it. Here’s some of what I wrote back then: 

I’m from homemade bread, from black and white television, 8MM movies with no sound, and drinking soda pop from bottles with caps that didn’t twist off. I’m from small town, USA.

I’m from long, hot summer days that went from sun up to sun down, with a nap in the middle for mom’s sake. I’m from soft, green grass that was cool on even the hottest days and the perfect cushion for sleeping outside nights. I’m from short, cold winter days with snow drifts that were sometimes taller than my head. I’m from ice skating and sledding and snow angels. I’m from Wyoming.

I’m from my grandpa’s vine-picked tomatoes, the skin cooled by a wash from the hose, the insides sun-warmed and bursting with flavor. I’m from one grandmother who raised her family in a two-bedroom log cabin, who gave crew cuts to any boy who wandered through and made dresses without patterns and quilts for every bed in the valley from the scraps.

I’m also from a city grandmother who married a cowboy and moved to the wilds of Northern Wyoming, a grandma who never wore pants except for picnics, and when you hugged her, she smelled of powder and lilies of the valley.

I’m from explosive Fourth of July celebrations and from men who served their country. I’m from some who didn’t come home.

I am from short, from wishing we were taller. I’m from six kids. I’m from sister who should have been my twin we are so alike. I’m from brothers who still get into mischief. I’m from jowls.

I’m from Lovell. I’m from Cowley. I’m from Wyoming.

I’m from Louisiana. I’m from pastries I can’t forget, beignets and bread pudding. 

I’m from Texas. I’m from barbecues, the Cotton-eyed Joe, and hurricanes. 

I’m from the USA. From Earth and the Milky Way (and from when Pluto was still a planet). 

This isn’t all of what was a very long post but it made me smile to read it again.

Where are you from? You can answer here or blog the meme, but if you blog it I hope you come back and post a link back.

Perilously yours,

Pauline