It's great to have a intiution be validated by a person who has chosen to go out among the people and become a voice for those who do not have a voice. Sometimes there is just an urge to go out and learn about different "ways" of life. There is culture in Vemont. I have found it at deer camp, store fronts: places where people have gone to listern to stories about life before they existed. During the time of adolence people are some what at the mercy of the biological peocesses (puberty), the exploration of themselves may or may not bring them closer to their peers. The initiations into the next stage of life are as diverse as the rock in a river bed.
On Jul 5, 11:49 pm, Benjamin Chaucer <benchau...@gmail.com> wrote: > Culture plays an immense and important role in the treatment that > individuals receive in VT. Not only in the field of medicine but in > all aspects of society. Vermont’s cultural differences are many, yet > may remain subtle to the outsider. VT has back woods types, city > slickers, down and outs, hippies (of which there is a spectrum all of > its own.) down to earths, Seasonal workers, Native Americans, > transplants and families who have been here since the separation of > Pangaea. I have worked for several years in social services and found > the youth who find themselves in such care to be a culture of their > own, indicative more of the modern isolation and grief that has come > from globalization. The youth that I have dealt with are justifiably > angry, having been discarded by their family and community and left in > the wilderness of adolescence to fend for themselves. I have met and > talked with at length many Vermonters who have lived here their whole > life, born in the house they still inhabit, the house that their > parents were born in, and their parents before them. This group of > the Vermont culture has maple syrup for blood, wood smoke for cologne > and no matter how cold it may be; to them it’s never cold enough. > There are transplants, those who have traveled here like my own > parents, still smelling oddly of another place, somewhere not so > distant, yet not so close. On the breath of transplants, words and > thoughts are muttered that somehow stray from the rotting leaves and > mountains of this land. The Natives have stories of this place, > devoid of the boundaries that we were silly enough to make up. The > ignorance and arrogance of appearance lie somewhere distant from their > speech and in conversation I often forget the odd notion of separation > from the land on which I was born. And there is of course the > Jamaicans’ who come every summer to work masterfully picking the > fields and orchards, swearing that VT is just like Jamaica, for three > months of the year. I have seen, and dealt with Vermont’s diversity > my whole life, always a strong opponent to anyone who would say that > VT has no culture. > The daily interactions within the diverse communities of VT are for > the most part handles with grace and a fair share of northern > comfort. We know, for example that anyone outside in the winter may > die, and as such, would never refuse someone in need a bed. There are > however undertones of intolerance that flare up in certain > situations. I have noticed large rifts between the educational > communities and the local tradesmen. There is arrogance in my mind on > the part of many highly educated individuals that they are more > sophisticated than their hard working counterparts. This logic is > proven flawed to anyone who has ever needed anything, other than a > book report. Among the tradesman, there is a sense that the > educational community is worthless, and would know shit from shiasta > if it smacked them in the face. In medical settings it seems that the > western education trains people well in dealing with trauma and lack > in training people to deal with diversity. I have seen people receive > scornful looks and frustration because of their vocabulary or dress. > This type of behavior stems from fear of differences, the very > differences that makes VT what it is. > When I was doing social work I would take the youth that I was > working with to coffee shops and hangout that I frequented. The kids, > had never been inside, and upon entering received looks that quickly > put them in their place. Free Wi-Fi apparently doubles as a “no > disenfranchised youth” banner. The youth would shrug passed the > remarks that had become old hat to them and quickly become at home. > It was apparent that many youth lack places to hang out, places to > simply be and to interact with other people, outside of the court room > and jail. Treatment here differed in no way from treatment inside > hospitals and doctors’ offices, looks were passed, and it was made > clear to us that in order to hang out, we needed to buy something. We > could just be dangerous bumbs, like we so clearly were. > I have felt the sting of indifference at car mechanics. I now make > sure to wear my Carharts when going to the mechanics after one too > many experiences being ripped off and made fun of. I have found that > wearing anything short of Carharts and flannel often warrants not only > mistrust but abuse, and I have been hurt by these interactions. It is > not fair to judge someone by the color of skin, vocabulary or clothing > choice. I have seen people across the world draw lines in imaginary > sand, lines that put people and friends across imaginary boundaries. > VT is no different we are here, as unable to escape the prejudice and > judgment of the human psyche as we are across the world. I believe > that an inner evolution will be required to let go of such petty > differences that enable us to form hatreds. It is and always has been > possible to respect and recognize the diversity within our communities > without alienating pockets of society. It remains true that different > populations receive different treatment from varicose factions of > society. This is a sad and sobering rule of thumb. But it is just > that, a rule a statements that is often true but to which there are > exceptions, this is far from a law and with awareness and effort it > will never be one. --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "CulturalandTraditionalHealthandHealing" group. To post to this group, send email to culturalandtraditionalhealthandhealing@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to culturalandtraditionalhealthandhealing+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.ca/group/culturalandtraditionalhealthandhealing?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
