English help

The definition of home differs between nations worldwide. Each country has its own way of looking at and defining home. They differ because of many reasons such as climate, customs, traditions, religions and history as they vary from one country to the other, thus, each of these factors shape home in a different way. But in spite of all these differences, home is the main contributor to our identity through many factors such as life lessons, connection to the family, and the ability to express ourselves freely.

A home provides life lessons for each individual that later on in life can walk them through the difficult situations and circumstances they face. These life lessons are learned inside the house, neighborhood, school and the surrounding area. In The Lessons of Columbus Park by Joe Chesapeake “I learned about living in a diverse neighborhood, the rules of fair and not so fair play, the battles to fight and those to avoid, who the good guys were, and the bad guys to stay away from. I learned to carefully observe people in the microcosmic world. And even though I suffered my fair share of scrapes and bruises, both physical and emotional, like most kids experience growing up, I felt like I could generally hold my own and navigate my world. I learned to withstand small trials in life and brace myself for difficult times” (Chesapeake, 1). When I was in eighth grade, I remember getting into a very big fight in school. It wasn’t my fault and I wasn’t the one who started the fight but I remember that I acted reckless and hit the guy back. The next day the police came to school and took the guys that beat me to the police station to settle things with their parents. But later I realized that even though it was self-defense, I shouldn’t have hit the guy back when he started the fight, instead I could have just run to the principal and he would’ve taken care of what was happening. This has taught me that no matter what happens, I should always stay away from troubles and fights. Since then I’ve always avoided trouble and grew up to be safe and responsible. These life lessons teach us being aware when we grow up. It teaches us what to look out for and how to avoid dangerous situations in the future. These life lessons and family instructions have always made me feel safe and they are now helping me while living by myself in California.

In Kuwait and other countries in the Middle East, home is where the parents are. Children live with their families until they grow up and get married and have the potential to start their own homes. Due to the bond, some go and live somewhere else nearby their family’ houses while others prefer getting married and living with their family under the same roof. A family visit is something compulsory in the Arab countries. Such visits are done at least once a week to ensure that individuals feel at home not only in our house, but in every family member’s house due to the constant visits. It is a great tradition because it keeps everyone updated with the latest family news, and also keeps the bond with the family strong. These visits and talks are the little things that can help develop our behavior and contribute strongly towards our identity by teaching us that family is above everything.

Home isn’t necessarily a physical structure, home is different to everyone. Some people consider other people their home. Others believe that their whole neighborhood is their home. In The Barrio by Robert Ramirez “Members of the barrio describe the entire area as their home, it is a home, but it’s more than this.” For them, they considered the whole barrio to be their home because they were all close together. Their relationships weren’t only with their own family, but with all the neighbors, so the whole area felt like home for the people of the barrio. To me, home is where my mother is because I’m used to waking up every day and seeing my mom cooking, cleaning or having a conversation with her friends whom she always invite. This is something I figured out when I moved from my country Kuwait to the United States. As days passed in my new apartment in America, I thought: “This is my apartment, but I don’t feel at home because mom is not here”. Another great tradition we have in Kuwait is, during meal times, everyone gathers around the dining table but no one touches the food unless the father is sitting at the table. If he is not around, they will wait for him to come back home, and then start eating. These situations are the traditions that we grow up with, the traditions that later become a big part of our identity and we pass them on to our own children.

Home teaches us the ability to express ourselves freely. Unlike being in places where we have to act according to certain rules or obey certain orders, in our home we can wear whatever we want, do whatever we want and act however we see fit without trying to impress anyone and without following any rules. Another aspect of expressing ourselves freely is designing our house the way we want and according to our lifestyle. For example, we are free to choose between a Toshiba TV or a Samsung TV and putting it anywhere we want. Or for example, we can get a dog and put it in the backyard, or get a cat. In the end, it is our house, our choice, and our ability to express ourselves freely without restraint. This surely exemplifies our identity because when people visit our house, they will know who we are, what our culture is and where we come from. It contributes to our identity by teaching us our traditions and culture and that we should stick to them. And later in life it helps us remember who we are, what our culture is and where we come from.

Finally, the perception of home varies between people and not everyone concurs with these factors. Every individual has been through different situations that taught them life lessons that contributed towards their identity. That means every person has their own perspective of home and what it means to them. But in the end, and in spite of all these differences, home remains a very significant factor to our identity and who we are and what we become in the future. It makes us who we are today and it helps us remember who we are and where we come from, and it’s a great guide for us through life and the daily situations we face. Without home, a big part of our identity will be missing.

Works cited

Chesapeake, Joe. "The Lessons of Columbus Park." This I Believe. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Mar. 2014.

Ramirez, Robert. "The Barrio." The Barrio (n.d.): 317-20. Print.