Week 2 "Hi, I'm Ryan"

This week we talked about defining a culture and the differences between culture and race or ethnicity. The question "who are you?" has always intrigued me. I find the fact that we are many things to many people and thus carry many different labels to be fascinating.

Take for example: While at a wedding someones asks "who are you?" and you answer " I'm the grooms cousin." Then, one hour later, you are pulled over for speeding and I assume your response would be somewhat different to the same question.

We were at Angel's parents house one day and she called her mom "mom". Her nephew went crazy. Yelling at Angel and telling her "That's my Granny, not your mom." Quite interesting and hilarious at the same time. Her nephew just couldn't see how "Granny" could also be "mom".

Finally; To some I am husband, brother, son, cousin, nephew, friend, student, teacher, coach, etc. Even when it comes to my faith I struggle with a one word definition that would be recognized yet not include those with ideas that I don't agree with. I am proud to call myself an American but I certainly don't agree with everything that we as a nation do. I am a Christian while I am not proud of some things done in the name of Christianity. I am a Baptist, but we can't even get Baptists to agree what that means. I am a fundamentalist but in today's society that has been used by those who would hurt others. I am evangelical and I look into our past and see how that has been used to enslave whole groups of people. In the end, I am Ryan Reeder. And even that title is used by some guy in Utah who is all over youtube trying to win converts to Mormonism. Oh well.