identity

you know that stage that people, specifically young adults, go through in which they have to "find" themselves? well, i've just recently decided its more about understanding yourself. i'm a firm believer that people don't change, that with nature plus nurture that is who you are for better or for worse.

i've been thinking about this a lot lately, most likely because i'm currently in the aformentioned stage, and i've come to the conclusion that the most important dimensions of my identity are highly attributed to by the following: i was solely raised by my mother, i religiously attended church for the majority of my life, and i'm from jersey.

being raised by a single parent, i believe, is underrated. granted, at times it was challenging, but what is life without challenge? all of the structure in my life , my ways of communicating, my overwhelmingly stubborn attitude, my culture, my respect, my independence, my strength...it's all because of her. essentially i aspire to be the woman she is. she is pretty much my everything.

second: i was practically raised in the church. most of my morals were established through sunday school, youth retreats, bible camp, etc. in retrospect, i feel like i was sheltered from the world, but my religious beliefs are a huge part of me. i'm reading this book roadside religion and the narrator says, "i was raised with a strong sense of identity within conservative evangelical christianity. although i no longer identify with it, my childhood and teen years were steeped in that culture. you might say it remains a part of me even though i'm no longer a part of it." i can't even begin to explain how this passage resonates with me. my christianity is basically my theological idiom [if that makes any sense]. its at my core.

lastly, and what i think is most evident to others, is my jersey roots. i am a jersey girl in every sense. according to the star ledger this is what compiles the jersey girl: "..a love of an unpretentious good time, and a certain sense of style. Jersey girls are about attitude. They're about eating pizza, drinking beer, having great hair - and enjoying it all..She's got a mouth on her. She says what she means. And she's got a nice, cheerful laugh..Bottom line, all of them are sexy as hell." i'm not really sure how one's location can determine all of this, but that's me down to the t.

.tatiana.