A few posts have discussed how the regions (or states, or towns) in which we live can play a hand in shaping who we become in life. What we have not discussed is how our parents and other parental figures have molded our personalities. Of course, just because you live in a specific area and your parents believe certain truths, does not mean that you are destined to be exactly the same. However, it is fair to say that both have some sort of impact. Since I’m not a psychologist and I’m not trying to study human development, I’ll leave it at that and anyone who is qualified can feel free to comment and speculate. Moving on…
My mother is a lover a history and historic buildings, which subconsciously seeped its way into my heart long before I knew the existence or definition of historic preservation. But her likes have clearly affected my beliefs in life and chosen career path. And when you spend time with like-minded individuals, your own thoughts tend to meld and become stronger. Take, for instance, spending time with a group of preservationists. It’s impossible to avoid some form of conversation about a historic building, development, quality of life, and flamingos (in the case of Preservation in Pink contributors.) So, when I received an email from my mom the other day, regarding our upcoming road trip, saying this:
I’m excited, but I think we’re likely to bore Erin. You know how much she likes history. Maybe this could be our opportunity to change her attitude about the past!!?!
I just had to laugh. It reminded me of my (our?) need to tell everyone in the world about historic preservation and why it could benefit and/or save the world. I mean this in a good way, like the desire to share a particular passion and help to improve quality of life for everyone, however you may define such a task.
On Saturday we’re headed to Philadelphia to explore the city, historic sites included, and to visit the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Design Open House on Monday October 27. If you’ll be there, let me know! I’m very excited for the trip and to see the preservation program at UPenn.
Expect Philadelphia/UPenn recaps next week!
Preservation in Pink 