One’s Weltanschauung

I firmly believe that the places one lives affect one’s worldview. Certainly, the neighbourhood influences a person’s Weltanschauung. We generally note that “rich kids” grow up with definite views and expectations. The same is noted of “poor kids” that face serious challenges. But, do we allow for similar influences in the lives of the “middle class” and ordinary neighbourhoods? What effect does remaining in one neighbourhood compared to moving into one or more new neighbourhoods? How does this affect Weltanschauung?

Before Susan and I married, I had lived in quite a few places. This probably influenced me to the extent that moving to different neighbourhoods seemed almost normal and natural. After we were married we moved rather frequently. Was this not the norm? Only in more recent years have I realized that ours is a minority situation. Some of our friends have never lived more than seventy-five kilometres from their birthplace. That alone puts a whole new spin on one’s outlook.

My parents moved quite frequently. Dad was a school teacher. He often sought a certain position in order to better his work situation and any possible financial gains. This was particularly true of the years before my appearance on the scene. My Dad retired from teaching a few years after my birth. Then the family moved to the Fraser Valley, BC. We lived in several place there. Moving seemed to be part of the family fabric.

After Susan and I married we left the Fraser Valley, BC for college in Hillsboro, KS. This was to be the first of many moves throughout our marriage. We have lived in four Canadian provinces and three US states. Some of these places we have lived in more than once.

Our lives and our children’s lives have been enriched by our varied surroundings. How does a move affect one’s Weltanschauung? Some of the positives include a greater awareness of geographical and sociological markings. Moves to new communities broaden one’s friendship circles—new friends are made and added to the ones left behind. Often each move indicates an improvement in economic conditions. Then too, with each move comes an awareness of the mores of the new community. Generally, each move means adaptation—recognizing what is new and that the old may need to change or be removed entirely. Adjustments are a normal part of any move. Accepting new ‘normals’ may mean numerous changes in lifestyle or expectations.

Moves also have some negatives for consideration. Dear friends are left behind. Letters, emails, calls all help to keep some connection. However, eventually the thread becomes very thin as it is stretched. Sometimes it breaks completely.

Each move, even if it improves one’s economic situation, costs money. Selling at garage sale prices and buying at full retail prices means that more was spent than earned.

A move to a new community is hard. How does one fit in? What are the expectations? New acquaintances may have life-long friendship circles and have no need for strangers from unknown places. How to gain friends can be a difficult task although the rewards may be great.

Sometimes a move means leaving family behind. Parents and siblings may have long-established home places. Leaving that may require frequent trips ‘back home’ in order to maintain familial connections. This may be hard. It affects the relationships. Children may not get to connect with cousins; siblings may not connect except sporadically, and leaving parents may mean that they age without full connectedness with the whole family.

What then do moves mean? All in all our moves generally have been positive. Each has helped broaden our perspective and opened our minds to new ventures and possibilities. Certainly there have been losses as noted above.

One then also needs to ask, what does remaining in one location mean in terms of outlook, friendships and relationships? Does the person that moved have advantages that the other does not? Does the person ‘remaining put’ gain benefits that any move does not?

Our place of residence often determines our Weltanschauung. Views on relationships, economics and even politics are greatly affected. What happens when a “stay put” person connects with a “mover”? How do these differences affect the friendship? Each of us needs to look inward to see how our past home neighbourhoods affect our present and our future.

Mass Individuality

We were recently informed that over 8 billion people now inhabit the earth. With that kind of number how does an individual expect to count? The sociologists, the newsmakers and the politicians frequently speak about “averages” when giving any stats about people. Individuality is lost—the mass is important.

Then, contrary to all the above, individuals count for a lot. Each person is significant. Think, for instance, about a person’s death. Stats indicate that about 60 million people die annually, but that this number continues to climb. A massive number, but each one is important to someone. Think, for instance, of the thousands in the military, yet each individual killed rates a special mention and a service of honor.

What happens to people when a “mass” grave is used to clear away the bodies from some horrible battle, such as revealed in Ukraine? This is not normal—does some moral fiber disappear when people do not take or find the time to remember the dead individually?

Think also of the significance of “unknowns”, people who seem to be of no importance or who may think of themselves as completely insignificant. I appreciate that the Winnipeg Free Press (among many other newspapers) provides space for obituaries, but more than that, the Free Press often highlights the life of someone not well known. Take for instance (see Wpg Free Press, Tuesday, July 17, 2007) the front page and page 3 story about a woman, Aynsley Aurora Kinch, who was found murdered. Who was she—someone who had little self-esteem, but someone who gained two pages of daily news coverage. Now none can say she did not count!

With the billions in our world, “masses” are common. Yet, whenever one of those masses dies, time stands still as many eyes shift towards that one and remember the life just ended. Each person merits the focus of others; a life is significant, not just as a statistic. I recently attended a funeral of someone who will not be listed in the Who’s Who of America, nor honoured by the powers that be in our country. Yet, this same person merited a church full of friends and family. The world stood still as the community remembered.

Every person counts. Every person is significant. Every life has meaning. Therefore, we will respect the people around us—friends and strangers alike!