While reading this piece I was drawn to the affection for “place” that Berry had. It is apparent that place is significant in our formation into adulthood and our decisions.
In the beginning when Kentucky is being described as where all of his memories are from and that they are seemingly interconnected in such a way that one cannot exist without the other, I immediatly felt like it made perfect sense. "Since I did most of my growing up here, and have had most of my most meaningful experiences here, the place and the history, for me, have been inseprable, and there is a sense in which my own life is inseprable from the history and the place." (Berry)
This made me think of my own memories and my own fondness for a place similar to Kentucky and I decided on Florida. It is where I grew up, where I spent most of my childhood and teen years. I tell myself I am going to move back because all of my memories there seem bright and happy. I feel like the city I grew up in is very much a part of my character and history. The fact that it was always warm in my city and the beach was 10 minutes away have made the ocean a significant part of my life. I enjoy the salt water and sand. Similar to the way Berry describes the sceenery in Port Royal.
My adoration for Florida is similar to Berry deciding to take a job at a college in Kentucky, giving up his place at NYU. He felt the need to be there becasue it was connected to him and he called it his "fate", whether pleased with it or not, it was fate. It makes me wonder why people like certain places more than others. Is it simply becasue of a connection to memory and the interconnectedness one feels with the place?
I like to think that this is mostly true. I enjoy the beach becasue I grew up playing in the sand and watching seagulls steal food from peoples hands in Florida. I enjoy the library becasue my Mom would always take me to the library to check out a romance novel for her to read to me before bed. I love going to New York becasue my grandparents live there and i can remember passing over the GW bridge and seeing the New York skyline. Each of theses fond memories I have from my childhood relate directly to the places in which the took place. It's all interconnected.
In the beginning when Kentucky is being described as where all of his memories are from and that they are seemingly interconnected in such a way that one cannot exist without the other, I immediatly felt like it made perfect sense. "Since I did most of my growing up here, and have had most of my most meaningful experiences here, the place and the history, for me, have been inseprable, and there is a sense in which my own life is inseprable from the history and the place." (Berry)
This made me think of my own memories and my own fondness for a place similar to Kentucky and I decided on Florida. It is where I grew up, where I spent most of my childhood and teen years. I tell myself I am going to move back because all of my memories there seem bright and happy. I feel like the city I grew up in is very much a part of my character and history. The fact that it was always warm in my city and the beach was 10 minutes away have made the ocean a significant part of my life. I enjoy the salt water and sand. Similar to the way Berry describes the sceenery in Port Royal.
My adoration for Florida is similar to Berry deciding to take a job at a college in Kentucky, giving up his place at NYU. He felt the need to be there becasue it was connected to him and he called it his "fate", whether pleased with it or not, it was fate. It makes me wonder why people like certain places more than others. Is it simply becasue of a connection to memory and the interconnectedness one feels with the place?
I like to think that this is mostly true. I enjoy the beach becasue I grew up playing in the sand and watching seagulls steal food from peoples hands in Florida. I enjoy the library becasue my Mom would always take me to the library to check out a romance novel for her to read to me before bed. I love going to New York becasue my grandparents live there and i can remember passing over the GW bridge and seeing the New York skyline. Each of theses fond memories I have from my childhood relate directly to the places in which the took place. It's all interconnected.