We are all unique

It seems as though an excellent way to actually determine your uniqueness is to consider the various folk groups to which you belong. Certainly just about anyone you meet or know may share at least one folk group with you, but how many are you acquainted with who could claim to belong to every one that specifically identifies you? In my case, for example, as far as the major categories of American folk groups, I am a female (gender-differentiated group) in my mid-30’s and therefore beginning to experience wrinkles and grey hair (age group) who is a fulltime student amongst so many who are fresh out of high school (occupational group) and wife/mother (family group) who is originally from Texas (regional group) and whose ethnicity is a combination of Italian and Anglo-Saxon (ethnic or nationality group).
Additionally, my husband has been in the navy for 15 years, and during that time we’ve lived in four states and one foreign country. From living in Japan, we developed an appetite for sushi (something we had never previously considered). While there, we chose to live off-base in a Japanese cho (neighborhood) in order to better experience a culture different from our own.
Being raised in rural Texas by a Catholic, Italian mother from New York and a Protestant father of Anglo-Saxon descent, meals were often interesting. Fried chicken, fried okra, salad with homemade Italian dressing, and wassail were the norm. A meal of lasagna and corn-on-the-cob was a favorite. A chili and garlic bread combo was always greeted with smiles. Irish stew also made its way onto the table, courtesy of the influence of my mother’s Irish grandmother. But not once did any of these meals make me pause and reflect on the obvious blending of folk groups.
I had never really considered that, by partitioning my identity in this manner, I could further emphasize my individuality.