Sunday, July 6, 2014

Dissonance

by Stephen Miller
My story in Cagli is not one of comparison, yet it is one of culture mingling. Today in a conversation with Elena, a local Cagliese, I was asked about my ethnic heritage. Immediately I mentioned that I was part Russian and part Irish. Elena had to know more. Questions began to come. Are you Catholic? Orthodox? What’s your last name? I didn’t understand the gravity the answers to these questions were to her. Although those ethnicities make up my majority, I don’t closely identify with any of their cultural traditions or practices. Her interest demonstrates a truth about our varying cultures; heritage is much dearer to Elena than it is for me. Although we engaged in dialogue, I didn’t grasp the depth of the conversation because of my different cultural beliefs.

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