Displacement

The formal definition of displace is "to move or put out of the usual or proper place." Unless you commute to school from home, we've all been displaced to South Bend for school. We've chosen to displace ourselves, but that doesn't always make living here any easier. Personally, I like going to school here, but I feel out of place at times. At home, our very coldest days might dip down to 35 degrees, but the average winter temperature is usually 45+. I have a family of 12 at home, but here I live by myself. I help to take care of 9 other kids at home, but here, I'm only responsible for myself. While that might be a relief to most, I extremely miss my siblings and caring for them. I miss constantly having my family around. I feel displaced here at Saint Mary's.

My mom, dad, and 9 siblings are the people that have formed my identity. Sure, I'm from GA, I'm a woman, I'm white, I have an Irish and Swedish and otherwise unknown background, but I FIRST identify with being "one of the 10 Catholic kids that lives in the house up the street" as my neighbors would put it. My gender, race, heritage, state of residence, and my interests that make up my identity take a back seat to how I identify with my family. Being Catholic makes up a huge part of how my family functions and how we interact with one another. Without my family, I would have nothing and I would be a completely different person.

After being here for three years, I've realized that those things that took 2nd place to my family have changed. I don't identify with the same things I did in high school. I still, and will always identify with that southern girl I wish I could be up here like I can at home, but most others from around here wouldn't understand the joy I find in 90+ degrees, off-roading, trucks, running through the creek with my brothers and dogs, and my obsession with coke and fried chicken. Things are different here, as I've learned, but I've learned to take on new things. My interests have expanded to becoming a teacher, the Army and my future career it holds, and learning to live without always having someone else around.

In conclusion, I wanted to point out that being displaced has helped reinforce my identity and broaden interests that change how I would describe myself. For me, My family and faith is #1, my interests are next. I'm not too interested in my heritage and I don't need to find things that help me feel more like a woman, and people of other races are more interesting to learn about than learning about myself as a Caucasian in society. I know that frustrates some people, but my interests lie in other places. Basically, displacement can help us remember who we are, where we come from, and where we are going.