Reflection Question, Chpt. One

According to the “Living Folklore textbook, the definition refers to the knowledge we have about ourselves and the world we ---DON”T---learn through school and textbooks, but through each other.
Growing up my life was very interesting. I had a father that had a job with the NCR Corp. as a manager trainee. Part of his job was to move around with his own family where ever they needed him. The most we ever stayed in one spot was four years and from K-12th grade we figured up that I had went to ten different schools before I graduated in 1978.
I learned a lot about people and cultures at a young age. But, there was one experience that stemmed my values and beliefs to becoming the person I am today.
When I was seven years old, there was a commercial showing a poor little girl with a stained and ripped dress, one shoe surrounded by mounds of garbage and living in a cardboard house. Everyone later would know of this commercial as Children’s Christian Fund or CCF. But, at the time, seeing flies swarm around her and living how she did, made tears stream down my face, as I ran to my bedroom, crying for this little girl.
My mom came in my room shortly afterwards. I explain to her why I was so upset. Mom just smiled and comfort me for a little while. Then she finally placed her hand on my chin, raising my head to meet her eyes and said, “You’re a pretty special person Lynn!”
Two days later we made cupcakes, then went around the neighborhood selling them door-to-door to everyone we could. We collected over $10.00 and mailed the money to the foundation.
A few months later we got a letter thanking us for our kind donation. Both of my parents were so proud of me, bragging to the family what I did. I was pretty proud of myself as well. It felt so good to give to this little girl who was close to my own age, hungry, tried and poor, a small helping hand.
This story I’ve told about myself happen in 1967 during the Civil Rights Movement, Vietnam War and when television was starting to change from black and white to color. But, to a seven year old, where the world can always be so confusing, learned a lesson that there’s always more to life than what meets the eyes.
After reading the text and expressing my own experiences, I realize just how much Folklore has been a big part of my life. If we open our minds to it, Folklore can be anywhere we look, including a seven year old little girl that learned about life outside her home, how other children her own age lived, and could change a life, even if it was just a helping hand.
This Blog entry is my response to the Chapter One, Reflection Question.