Houstonian: A Reflection of Debbie Hardwell's Workshop

"You have to know the past to know the future." The words escaped Debbie Hardwell's lips, a slight southern accent coming through. And with that, she launched into a recap of the history of Houston. Perhaps it was queer to think that the statement she said above would stick out to me most. But than, I've always been an odd city girl. And yet, the city that shaped and molded me environmentally is the same one which this lady had brought upon herself to inform me of. No, not just me- a group of about twenty people that consisted of teenagers and a few adults who could be found on the outskirts of the presentation. The future is something of much uncertainty but, even so, time repeats itself. There is the poor grandfather who becomes rich, his son who maintains the wealth, and his grandson who eventually spends it just to have his great grandson recapture the family's prior wealth. It is everlasting cycle that most minds have missed in their own attempts to care only for the now and not the future. In fact, the past is lingered on quite a bit- just not the right parts. And yet, if some bright, capable individual were to look at the past, the present, and the future, and perceive it right, they could ultimately change the world. And that, my friend, brings us into another quite brilliant quote said by Ms. Hardwell. Forgive me, I do not know if the old woman was married or not.

Ms. Hardwell said something that went a little like this: you have to know the background of old things before you can begin creating new ones. My thoughts lingered on this theory for quite a bit. There are so many different interpretations that you could muster up! It is merely a matter of wit, intelligence, and a streak of defiance that could bring you to my perception of this statement.  There's been many failures that have occurred in the past. I'm not going to lie; failures contain more knowledge than any success. However, success is determined by a whole variety of factors that change according to what you are trying to succeed in. The determinants are forever changing, and yet the basic ones are a constant. By studying failures and successes combined, you could figure out what exactly makes for a success. And this is the final key to creating something that is built to last, a big difference compared to Mac laptops. This can be used to change the world. What?

One neighborhood can affect one city. One city can affect one state. One state can affect one nation. One nation can effect the entire world. But, the thing is, it does not have to be a big difference. It can be the smallest thing in the world! It can be volunteering at the local elderly center, or starting a small business, or starting a group for suicide prevention. I am a part of a group that helps suicide prevention. I know that for every thing I say, I may have just saved some persons life. And, honestly, that is incredible. It is so, so incredible. Anyone can make a difference! I know this isn't filled with facts but for Gods sake, look! Look at the place you live and do something. A smile can save a life. One smile. Just do it.

Houston has had its troubles. Being the first major city with an openly gay mayor proves this. It also shows that this city was built on strong, key values. Whenever the South became federally powered, blacks and whites were divided. Black people weren't allowed to vote. I think people refuse to recognize the fact that we are all the same in terms of our species. I am a human. You are a human. Our races are merely used as things to categorize us better. I am three fourths European. You are at least one part American. Considering that America is a melting pot, to say that you're American can mean pretty much anything. Well, the French won't like you much, but that's okay. Race is a huge discriminatory factor of Southern life, whether it be now or in the 1800s. Some people say that racism today is caused by the fact that people refuse to let go. However, it is a mixture of things. It is a blend of our society, telling us that we each have to fit to a certain image in order to be normal. Ha! Normalcy is something that people today do not look into enough.

Let me give you a short little tale of what exactly normalcy is. Normalcy. That is actually something I find my mind wandering to often in times of severe boredom. So, yes, I've thought about it a lot. There is no definition of normal that is accurate. Normalcy all depends on your perception. It's really an impossibility to try to define normal because of the fact that the word normal is perceived differently by each and every human being. No one person thinks of normal the same way as another. We can't define normal like we can define massive as large. If you were to look up the word normal, you would find that the definition is conforming to the usual. Usual means habitual, so, in the end, normal consists of human's daily habits which would make everyone normal. Oops!

Or, you could look at it another way. You could say that everyone has different habits, and yet our main habits are the same. Eat, sleep, drink. Every human does it. Or maybe some could talk about smaller habits, like going out with friends every Friday or having a habit to wear what's newest in fashion, if that even counts. In the end, normal is about humans daily life patterns, but society has completely redefined it. Society has said that perfect hair, acne free faces, and skinny bodies are normal and that if you don't have it, you are not normal. To say you are not normal in society today is to say something is wrong with you. So, in essence, being weird means you don't have the same exact habitual patterns as another person. Personally, I think it would be creepy if you did. But we don't. So, in the end, we're either all normal together, or all not normal. Or, if we wanted to spice things up a bit, we could choose one habit to base everything off of. But in the end, everyone has a different habit they choose to base normality on, and that is why being normal is so difficult in today's society. It is impossible to fit every single person in the world's perception of normal when they contradict each others. And that is my view on normalcy.

So what is normalcy in Houston? Houston is a Southern city. We have racism. Houston is the most ethnically diverse city in the USA. We accept people for who they are and what they are. Houston has an openly gay mayor. Sexuality is still a major issue for most. Houston is a rather fancy place, considering that you have to dress up just to go to the theatre. We have people who are rich, poor, and everything in between. Houston is the top sex slave trafficking city in the nation. The sex industry booms here. An entire ward of Houston is dedicated to art- Montrose. We are explorers of self expression. We are the people of Houston. I'm a person who's lived in a couple of districts of Houston. I've lived on the outskirts. I've lived in Tanglewood. I've lived in the Energy Corridor. I've lived in West University. Do you know what the constant in that brief life summary is? I have lived in Houston. I am Isabella, and this is what it means to be a Houstonian.