Culture and Tradition

To Keep or Not to Keep...

     Like a majority of Canadians, I am of European decent. I can not say that my family has a specific culture as I have witnessed in other families, however, somewhere in my ancestry I have some English, German, Irish and French. At times this cultural combination can leave me feeling inclined to squeeze into lederhosen, pick a fight and Colonize a developing nation while the French part of me heavily judges my every action. 

     Joking aside, I was born and spent my childhood in Montreal, Quebec. My great grandmother and grandfather immigrated from Germany (originally Romania) to Montreal in 1921. My grandmother, Emma Pauline Yvorchuk, the eldest of the four daughters, lived with her family in the basement of a Jewish school of which her father, Ferdinand Yvorchuk (later changed to Horne) was employed as a custodian. She married my grandfather Frank Roach, a reporter for CBC News in Montreal. 

     My father was raised in a typical Roman Catholic family. My grandmother French and my grandfather (with the last name Hobbs) English. With nine children, the family struggled financially and to this day, the most direct route to my fathers heart is through his stomach. He loves to feed and care for his family. 

     The only significant cultural aspect I can think of that may have been past down was perhaps our religious background. Both my mother and father and in turn my brother and I were raised in the Roman Catholic Church. However, in my early twenties I turned to the Anglican Church on account three things: 

1. Their lower guilt to sin ratio, 

2. They had begun performing same-sex marriages and I thought    

    that was extremely forward thinking and 

3. The church was two minutes from my house and I was a 

    incredibly lonely at the time. 

     I have since moved away from the church and Catholicism in general. I respect an individuals commitment to their spirituality, however, I feel there is a difference between following ones religion and following religions followers, as it is my belief that any true God would not be vengeful. I do not see myself passing along the Roman Catholic faith specifically however I would like to pass on my beliefs that an individuals commitment to religion or spirituality can be beautiful as long as religion or spirituality does not hurt others.