My father’s 1937 Chevy Sedan has been a part of my
family for forty five years. Growing up restoring cars and attending car shows
has placed me into Hot Rodding culture. Being a part of Hot Rodding,
specifically with this car, links me to what is referred to as a class of cars
called Street Rods. Spending countless hours in a shop with my dad, I have worked
on a variety of cars and have been introduced to the vast array of differences
that attract people to Hot Rodding. Born generations after the birth of Hot
Rodding, I am able to combine the past and present linking me to Hot Rodders of
any generation. Having a car passed from generation to generation has planted
the love of cars firmly in my life along with helping define who I am.
Fitness,
specifically bodybuilding links me to the 21st century movement of
pushing the human body to the limit in hope of losing fat and gaining muscle.
Looking to the past I find inspiration in the form of Arnold Schwarzenegger,
pictured above. Arnold epitomizes the sport of bodybuilding and reigned atop
the sport for years. Partaking in the enjoyment of classic bodybuilding puts me
in a limited group of enthusiasts while shaping how I train in the gym today. In
my teen years I was very unhealthy and out of shape, leading me to today where
I mix old school bodybuilding with modern day knowledge. Looking back at
pictures of myself I find the motivation that pushes me to continue my
bodybuilding journey each day. While never planning on competing, taking the
classic approach of using iron to shape the human body is something I strive
for. Fitness links the past to the present for me and while I may never
compete, bodybuilding has provided a chance to become a part of a movement that
will forever shape my life.
Friends
are something that everyone has, yet cannot be taken for granted. My group of
friends helps to create my identity while I help to create theirs. This picture
shows just that, good friends are hard to come by and when you find ones like
mine you do everything you can to keep them. My friends are a true identity of
who I am. They have been with me through every change in my life and they are
what have helped shape me throughout the years. My friends and I have created a
culture where we all thrive and can be ourselves. The friends I choose to
surround myself with are an extension of me and who I see myself being. Each of
my friends has assets that I admire along with being a group who I will always
be there for.
Beach
volleyball is something that has defined me since high school. Being from
Central Washington, beach volleyball is a rather small sporting community and
yet the competition is fierce. Taking the time to perfect the art of volleyball
has given me the opportunity to not only play the sport, but gain knowledge and
respect for the sport simultaneously. Playing against a range of players from
beginners to professionals, the sport of beach volleyball has shaped my life
while creating friendships wherever I travel. Being a part of beach volleyball has
provided for life skills such as discipline, hard work, and strategy which shows
how important beach volleyball has been in my life. Participating in a sport
not widely known in this area has allowed me to become an ambassador for the
sport and attempt to grow the sport shaping how I view the sport of beach
volleyball. Choosing a sport unknown to most has allowed for the selection of a
sport which bests suits myself along with what I stand for. Beach volleyball has
helped define who I am on a sporting standpoint along with influencing my
cultural identity each step of the way.
Music is something that has shaped my life
for as long as I can remember. From going to car shows to attending concerts,
ZZ Top has linked the past to everything that I enjoy today. ZZ Top sings about
Hot Rods and has been a major influence since the first car show I attended. By
creating a rock n roll scene, I was able to instantly relate too many of their
songs while enjoying other hobbies simultaneously. ZZ Top has linked my passion
for cars into my music and vice versa as cars helped fuel my passion towards
this band. By listening to what is considered classic rock, I am able to help
bridge the gap between the past and present in multiple endeavors as I do my
best to keep old school Hot Rodding alive. Listening to ZZ Top puts me in a
much older crowd and yet I feel right at home. Culturally this band has helped
define me because while I may be young, I have a lot in common with the older
generations who were able to grow up alongside ZZ Top.
Johnny
Cash has been a large influence in my life because of the passion I can hear in
his songs. By listening to his music and reading the book presented here, I can
have a peek inot the life of my most influential musician growing up. While
Johnny Cash may have slower songs and be telling a story throughout his songs,
that is what hooked me. Johnny Cash has helped to culturally define me because
of his art of telling stories. I have a passion for listening to stories and
hearing what other have been through; Johnny Cash is able to do both within his
songs and in this book. I have yet to meet many people who enjoy Johnny Cash
the same as I do, but I have gotten to know many of my family stories because
of listening and always wanting to know more. My grandparents have always
listened to Johnny Cash and I became hooked as soon as I heard his voice. I am
hooked on a voice that sounds like it has been through the bad and the good.
Having experienced so much within his life, Johnny Cash has helped me sift
through my own family and discover what my family has been through as well.
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