bits of my weekend: couples dance

Kenyon and I are still working on making our new location feel like home, and that means getting out and about. We had heard about a community dance being put on by a local church. They were going to provide childcare until 11pm. There would be some food and music. We decided to go. Worst case scenario, we would make a memory that later we could say, "Do you remember that time..."

We definitely made a memory!

We were one of the youngest couples in the room. Most were in their 50's. The music was a jazz band. We knew we were out of place when the lead singer mentioned a song that should take the group back to memories of the Ed Sullivan show. Hmmm...we don't have memories of that show as we weren't born yet. My husband can often have me laughing until I cry while giving what I call his "running commentary." Our dance event was no exception.

It may not have been the kind of event that had us kicking up our heels, but it was an enjoyable experience. Honestly, I was impressed with a church that would go to such lengths to give couples a good time - providing food, music, a fun atmosphere and most importantly childcare.

just Sheri, happy feet

I am: Third culture

A few weeks ago I wrote about my identity crisis - who am I?

Since that writing I have a job. But, that is not who I am.

I don't know that I will ever fully answer this philosophical inquiry, but bit-by-bit as I unpack the depths of this question I will post my findings here.

Finding #1 - I am Third Culture

What does that mean?

To me, that means I was born in one culture that for many years defined my life and shaped my perspectives. As I was exposed to other cultures and then by living in other parts of the world I discovered how much my ideas, perspective and judgments were influenced by my culture of origin...and these things began to change.

I now feel like I co-exist in two worlds, on two plains, with my feet in two realities. I am not suffering from multiple personality disorder. Rather, I understand my culture of origin at a deep level (probably deeper than when I was oblivious to it's influence), but I also relate in a meaningful way to those from cultures other than my own. I am not defined by one culture, but rather fluidly going from one to another. This is how I define "third culture." It is part of who I am today...and hopefully who I will be in the days to come.

Dave Gibbons is a man talking a lot about this concept in the church world. He says:

We're seeing the emergence of people and leaders who can live in the intersections between divergent ideas; people who understand the fringes and the margins yet can weave in and out of multiple cultures, honoring each context yet without alienating those on the fringes.

I can see value in such a perspective. What do you think?

just Sheri, a third culture adult

Black History month: slavery and slave places in Fredericksburg

We currently live in a VERY historic city.

Virginia was the site of the first US settlement known as Jamestown. It was one of the original thirteen colonies and home to four of the first five US Presidents.

One day I took the youngest Williams family member to the park to swing and have some fun. He and I climbed a hill at the park. There was a large rock on the side of the hill. We decided to explore the rock. The rock had a plaque. The plaque explained that this rock is where Mary Washington would go to pray for her son George Washington when he was in war.

Yeah, that George Washington.

I've never happened upon something with that kind of historic significance before. We live near George Washington's childhood home - which is still a local landmark. If you remember, Kenyon and I did a tour of his adult home a few years back (a short drive down the highway). Click here to read that story.

This post isn't about George Washington or the colonization of America. No, this is about a time a bit later in our history. The civil war.

The city we currently live in has a historic downtown with many old buildings. When I say "old" I mean old, old (by American standards), dating back to the late 1600 to early 1700's. There are historic trolley tours offered by the visitors center. We took a guided tour on a recent Saturday.

The topic was slavery and slave places in Fredericksburg. Wow, it was eye opening! Through the years of visiting and in recent months I have been down these streets many times. The tour brought a whole new perspective. For instance on a familiar corner is this odd stone piece.

I wondered once why that stone was sticking out there? Then I moved along my merry way. I was told on the tour that this was the former site for city slave auctions. They would put a chained man on the top of the stone so the crowd could see him, then sell him off to the highest bidder. I will never look at that corner the same again...never.

The story of Roots was based in Spotsylvania county, which is our neighbor. In fact it is so close that we eat there often. Just last night we had dinner at a restaurant in the area.

Other interesting tidbits is that one of the local banks located downtown was also a bank during civil war days, and is the only building in our town that Abraham Lincoln is known to have visited. Yes, that Abraham Lincoln.

The most powerful part of the tour was the end standing on the edge of the Rappahannock River. As we looked at the water flowing past us we were told the story of freedom. The Union soldiers called out to the slaves to cross the river...and they did...by the hundreds. Two of them later wrote autobiographies of their life, the most famous is called A Slave No More by John Washington. We visited his childhood home and many stories on the tour were told through his experience.

just Sheri, awed by the story of freedom in my neighborhood

driving tips

It's official. I am the older generation. How do I know? Well, if the grey hairs aren't enough to remind me...it is clear in the conversations I have with teenagers lately.

One example is driving. In the house we are living in there is a new teenage driver. In my day we were told to hold the wheel at 10 and 2 for better control when steering. Now they hold it at the bottom. As she describes it "like a thug." Why? Well, it isn't just for looks. I am told it is a safety reason, in case the air bags deploy.

I guess I learned to drive before the advent of the airbag. Apparently that makes me old.

just Sheri, not as young as I used to be

review of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts

I am NOT an artist, but I am an art enthusiast. For years I have wished that I could create colorful works of beauty, but alas, that is not my gifting...no matter how hard I wish for it. However, I still love to view works of art and attend performing art events.

One of the things Kenyon and I missed in recent years was the wide availability of art. He proposed to me in the Nelson Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City. In our courting days and early marriage we spent many date nights at a theater event or art show (in Kansas City there are many, as well as in my home town of Santa Fe).

Now that we are back in the US and have a few major metropolises in our vicinity - we are going to take advantage of the amenities available to us (and the time unemployment has afforded us).

Recently we toured the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.

There is a sculpture garden, all sorts of paintings and even furniture. The museum had some of the prettiest stained glass windows I've seen up close. We spent a leisurely afternoon wandering the exhibits, picking our favorites, reading about the artists and giving our versions of what statement the art is trying to make. The variety of art is quite unique and because this state was an original colony and a battlefield site during the civil war there are also some unique pieces related to American history.

The best part...admission is FREE.

If you are looking for something to do in the Richmond, VA area. We recommend the Fine Art museum.

just Sheri, appreciative of the arts