Progression 3 Paper

This is Me!

Every moment in my life, every event I have participated in, and every memory I have made with my loved ones makes me who I am today. That is what makes me who I am. Whether it be good or bad, I have to accept the fact that life is not perfect, but I have still come a long way. There is a lot that has impacted my life over the years, but I am the person I am today because of my family, my extensive list of hobbies, and my taste in music.

Growing up I was always surrounded by love and a sense of togetherness. Family gatherings and holidays were especially fun, as I could get together with all my loved ones at the same time. I truly believe that “Family rituals help define who we are as a family. It allows time for the family to get together, to share experiences with one another, and to reconnect with each other”(“Building Strong Family Relations”). My familial relationships grew immensely from these events as well. Because of this, out of all the grandkids I have the closest relationship with my grandparents, to the point that if they don’t get my weekly Facetime calls they get worried. But I love that. It offers me so much mental support knowing that I have a whole group of people cheering me on whenever I embark on something. In addition to my family’s emotional support, during the months of waiting for University acceptances, I would get countless phone calls from family asking whether or not I have received anything (which makes sense as I was the first grandchild to go to university). This support gave me the self-confidence I needed and still need, today to better myself and my life as a whole.

Stemming from my strong family bonds, my family always makes me feel respected and that my thoughts and ideas matter. Whether it was about something small like ideas for planning the day, or big ones like where to go for vacation, they never shut down my curiosity in affairs outside of my realm of knowledge. This helped boost my confidence tremendously, and I feel it has turned me into a better decision-maker in life. “Strong families allow all family members -- no matter how young or small -- to talk about their thoughts and feelings” (“Building Strong Family Relations”). In my own experience, this made the family much closer and created stronger bonds. In my own experience anytime my idea was suppressed or I felt like a burden, it gave me a feeling of uselessness. This feeling is never a good thing to give someone as it causes more harm than good, however, this rarely occurred. Normally, even if my idea was bad, my parents would say ways I could improve upon it, like constructive criticism when grading a paper. Their respect for me and what I have to say, has also led me to open up about my feelings and feel comfortable talking to them about things that are bothering me in life.

In addition to involving me in the decision-making process, my family also influences my interests. I have many hobbies that I love to do, including collecting my favorite vinyl records and vintage memorabilia. I feel these hobbies have helped me tremendously find a passion for something. In retrospect this was generational. From the ’50s to about the mid-’70s my grandparents would go on multiple trips throughout the year to Europe from Iran. They would source many rare antiques and homewares to bring back to Iran and sell, this made very unique experiences for my dad as a child as he was able to see many cities across Europe from as far west as Limoge, France to as far east as Prague, Czechoslovakia. I can only imagine how exciting that must have been for him. Because of my dad's early experiences with my grandparents, their love of old and unique things has come down the family line to my dad and now to me. They are the biggest reason for my love of old things and history in general. As a kid, I would go to antique shows and flea markets with my family, who were trying to find more practical things like decor and furniture for our house. But naturally, I found myself very attracted to certain genres and collectibles including music history and vintage pop culture trends. Since my early days, these hobbies have given me ideas and projects to do in my free time, which is always a fun treat, that makes me feel like a kid in a candy store. According to the article “Five Benefits of Having a Hobby” “Hobbies can [also] keep you in the moment, taking your mind away from stressful thoughts and focusing on an activity you enjoy”( “Five Benefits of Having a Hobby”). Many a time looking for cool items has become my therapy and a way to relax on a Sunday from a week's worth of work.

My interest in old things that I have inherited from my dad’s side makes me feel connected to my family and is a big reason why I will never stop. Sometimes people ask me when I think I will stop, or if my vintage hobby is a phase. My answer to these people is no. Going and finding the diamond in the rough for me is an amazing experience. You see, it's not just getting the cool material object that's fun, but also the whole process itself. I find that after doing this for a while, you also become very knowledgeable about the history and other topics pertaining to the past. I believe this was a big driving factor in my choosing to be a history major. Another benefit of hobbies is that “Hobbies don’t just enable you to be multi-skilled, they can also help you better manage stress and to think creatively”( “Five Benefits of Having a Hobby”). My religious trips to antique fairs and flea markets over the years have helped me control my stress but have also created a strong bond with my dad and me. He would always antique with me as a kid and it became kind of like a ritual for us. So as long as he is around I will continue, and maybe someday even with my own kids.

Another integral part of what makes me who I am is my love for music of all kinds. My family has also had an effect on the types of music I listen to. Music for me is like viewing a piece of art. It makes me feel a certain way and want to move in a certain way, music has also made an immense impact on my life, as it makes me who I am today. Going back and remembering all the good times I had with my grandmother in the car with the speakers thumping, with old and new, it didn't matter what. My grandmother loves music very much, she is the one who really got me into the different Persian genres and even English songs from the 50s to the 70s. She introduced me to many styles of music that I still love and regularly listen to today, she can even recite all the Beatles songs by heart. Even while washing dishes, she sings songs from her childhood, and I loved it as a kid, I still do in fact. Growing up my house was full of music, we had an entertainment unit in our family room, and it was filled to the brim with VHS tapes of live performances, CDs, and cassettes. It's not just about the music itself that makes me happy but also the memories I have with them, remembering who I was then and who I am now, how far I’ve come. In fact, it's not just the wonderful memories with music that benefit me, “music has [also] been recommended by therapists as a way to cope, for years, because they believe it helps reduce anxiety, pain, and stress”(Does music really make you happy?). I can recall many times in my life that I have used music to put me in a good mood and leave my negativity behind.

Other than music being a part of my family identity it also stems from my cultural identity. Being Persian, we are always surrounded by music. There is no way you can go to a Persian party and not hear music. The Iranian Revolution of 1979 brought a wave of ultra-conservative Muslim ideas to Iran, which basically wanted to erase our beautiful rich culture of song, dance, and self-expression. The Revolution stripped my people of music, fashion, and all kinds of performing arts, leaving the good old days of free Iran under the Shah. Women especially are negatively impacted as they are forced to follow certain dress codes and are banned from singing. “The laws around music practices after 1979 were based explicitly on readings from Islam” (Breyley), in other words, music of all kinds was band except religious (Muslim) genres. However, my people did not give up. Whether it be smuggling cassettes from outside the country to hiding instruments behind walls and underground soundproof clubs, Iranians made a way to enjoy their beloved music, albeit with a few bumps in the road (getting caught and spending a few days in prison with lashes). However, people were prepared to pay this price to still enjoy the music they had once been able to freely do. That is why many families like my own, value music and the arts so much. It is because they were deprived of it for so long, and now that they have left the country, and can freely listen to it, they want to enjoy every moment to make up for the lost time. “When people listen to music it triggers parts of the brain that evoke emotions” (Why Does Music Trigger Specific Memories?). These emotions remind the Iranian people of the days they used to have fun and enjoy music.

Because of these hard times, still to this day, the Persian community would be nothing without music. In fact if anything these restrictions made music all the more powerful for my people and even became a symbol of disobedience to the regime. Music and the performing arts have long been my people's symbol of resistance, which has subsequently become part of our identity even for Persians born outside of Iran (like me). For myself, this cultural identity and history have made music the person I am today by shaping my love of music, and it gives me something in common with other Iranians. Listening to songs from my childhood and even my parents' childhood brings back memories of summer vacation dancing in my grandmother's living room, and birthday parties where all the seats would become empty and the dance floor crowded. All of these memories make music a part of my identity.

Family, my hobbies, and my taste in music are just three of the main things that make me who I am. They are what comes to mind when I think of who I am. I would not be the person I am today without the support I got growing up from my family and loved ones. The memories of music and laughter have made me into the happy optimist I am today. My hobbies helped me ground my interests as well as gave me opportunities to contemplate and learn new skills. They also made opportunities for me to bond with my dad and make great memories with him. In conclusion, my identity is built from a combination of stories coming from my grandparents to my parents, and now my own experiences throughout life. These generational events, experiences, and traumas have had a great impact on me and my family. These make me the person I am today.

Works Cited

Brennan, Casey, et al. “SiOWfa16: Science in Our World: Certainty and Controversy.” SiOWfa16 Science in Our World Certainty and Controversy, 16 Sept. 2016, sites.psu.edu/siowfa16/2016/09/16/why-does-music-trigger-specific-memories/comment-page-1/.

Breyley, G. J. (2016). Between the Cracks: Street Music in Iran. Journal of Musicological Research, 35(2), 72–81. https://doi-org.libproxy.csun.edu/10.1080/01411896.2016.1165051

“Building Strong Family Relationships: Cooperative Extension: University of Delaware.” Building Strong Family Relationships | Cooperative Extension | University of Delaware, www.udel.edu/academics/colleges/canr/cooperative-extension/fact-sheets/building-strong-family-relationships/.

“Five Benefits of Having a Hobby.” CAE, www.cae.edu.au/news/five-benefits-of-having-a-hobby/.

Ringgold, Teona A, et al. “SiOWfa14 Science in Our World: Certainty and Cont.” SiOWfa14 Science in Our World Certainty and Cont, 14 Sept. 2014, sites.psu.edu/siowfa14/2014/09/14/does-music-really-make-you-happy/.