By Georgie Bright Kunkel

Since I was a young girl I have pondered the meaning of the universe and the wonder of it all. To ordinary humans who live in a world where people are born and die
it is all a mystery. That is why sages over the centuries have sat on mountain tops pondering it all. Religious were begun to help us humans deal with life and death issues.
The older members of each family help younger people face the unknown.

Since I am now the oldest member of my “tribe,” so to speak, I have begun to feel a responsibility to support the needs of younger members who turn to their elders for solace and understanding. I feel very fortunate that I do not live in a war torn city or a world in which people fear for their lives every day. How lucky to be born in the Pacific Northwest where life is peaceful and the environment without extremes. We, here in this area of the world, seem to attract entrepreneurs of every kind. It is a place of exciting enterprises and opportunities.

I often think about being able to choose the place of one’s birth. Would I have chosen any other place that would allow me to have any more freedom of thought or opportunity? Probably not. My own family members were Washington pioneers who came west to find new opportunities. The west afforded freedom of movement and freedom of thought as well. When I think of the stress of people living in the dust bowl or places where extreme weather conditions threaten life I feel very fortunate that my father decided to settle out west.

It is said that each person is a result of their upbringing and surroundings. Certainly being born the youngest of eleven in the family had a special impact on my being. I gained from watching my older siblings deal with growing up and wending their way out into the wider world. Each one of us is a result of family interactions and learning to use one’s talents in a special way. It is up to each parent to nurture each of their children so that they grow and develop their unique ability which they share with the world.

I remember wondering about other cultures in which individuals are welcomed into adulthood in unique ways. As a feminist I noted the role of women in various cultures which did not allow females the same freedom and consideration that men were allowed. But then I realized how stressful it was for men who were expected to fight in wars and protect the community. Rigid expectations of each sex have made it difficult for anyone who could not match up to these expectations. As humans become better educated about their own potential and the world around them they have become more self assured.

The modern world of travel and communication has brought people together in new ways. No longer do people live in the isolation of village life. Where family members once lived in close proximity, they now may live hundreds of miles apart from each other. But modern methods of travel and communication have eased this separation.

My own extended family still keeps in touch and family get-togethers are still a time of celebration.