How would you pronounce the object in the photo? With an emphasis on the “UM” or the “BRELLA?”
UM-brella, or um-BRELLA?
I used to think there was only one way. Growing up in Vermont; it was “um-BRELLA.”
Where I went to college, people emphasized the first syllable instead.
I realized that by traveling a little more than a thousand miles from where I grew up, I could find more diversity than by traveling a much shorter distance across the Canadian border to the French-speaking province of Quebec!
I learned about people, politics, geography, the change of seasons, and most of all, myself.
1861-1865 – What does this time in history mean to you?
People across this great nation of ours are at the same time, both very similar and very different from one another. Certain preconceived notions are found in various parts of society in each state of union and I was fortunate enough to experience a variety of them by living in a different part of the country for four years. For example, I had been taught that the war between the states in the 1860′s was called the Civil War. I discovered that others had been informed that it was the War of Northern Aggression. Amazing how different those terms are, that describe the same event.
We all have seen the red and blue of the political maps on television during election season and can see that the two colors present themselves more brightly than the other, in certain areas of the country. Meeting the people that truly believed in a different point of view than mine was a fascinating dose of reality. It made me review and understand my own views with more conviction, and even open my eyes to a point of view opposite of mine.
The mountains of my home state became rolling hills and open valleys as I drove the 20 hours it took to get to school. It was amazing to see the changes in the scenery as I went off to college.
Going to Football Games
I expected the fall to resemble the crisp, dark days of New England after the leaves had fallen and the local football team was on the gridiron. Instead, I found that attending the college games were nothing like anything I had ever experienced. The men wore coat and tie women wore dresses – “Bizzaro World” for a kid from New England who was used to seeing everyone dressed in sweatshirts, jeans, boots, hats and gloves for the games! It was great to go through winter without a single snow flake sticking to the ground! Discovering the trees, plants, and flowers in bloom in March instead of June, was a real treat!
Best of all, spending time away from the community I grew up in, really helped me mature and learn about myself in an environment that did not confine my learning experiences to the boundaries of my youth. My point is that this is the time in a young person’s life to get out, explore, and really push oneself to break free from your comfort zone!
