Culture.
Hi there! It’s been a few months since my last article. Five, I think. I’ve been a bit occupied with some other Cardinal projects, namely, the new podcast. Have you heard it yet? Give it a listen if you haven’t already. The November episode is a real treat for sure!
Podcast aside, it feels right to check in here and chat about something simple: Culture.
Super simple, I know.
We do hear this word a lot, though. It’s a pretty nuanced one. It can refer to an individual. A couple. A family. Even an entire town. In any case, it’s always about a collective, and relationships.
Even when it seemingly has nothing to do with us humans, this is true. Consider a petri dish. The culture refers to microorganisms. The bacteria. Fungus.
Yogurt is the same, if you will, for a more at-home example.
Even more familiar, of course, is the petri dish of our body. Both internally and externally (“the gut” and the skin, for all you fellow science folk out there), we know there are literally countless single-celled organisms in and on each of us. Everyone. Every BODY.
Having said that, as we often hear it, “culture” usually alludes to something less microbial. If we have to define it, it’s sort of this invisible yet understandable essence which informs how we connect and interact. In fact, for the sake of this interaction, let’s define culture as “a story”. Yes, that makes sense; “our culture” is a story.
This is especially true in the context of a country. The foundation of any country is, quite often, a recorded story. History. As such, it’s the glue which holds us all together. It’s the web influencing everyone and everything, from how we cheer for sports teams, to how we pray and worship together, and even to how we sing our favorite songs.
The story, in fact, even dictates our every thought.
On that note, let’s consider those microorganisms again, the ones which live within us, upon us, and all around us. Our capacity, in a way, to even tell our story is dependent upon them. How so? Because, quite literally, we are dependent upon them. In other words, at the risk of sounding dramatic, our body would not only fail to function properly without these organisms, but we wouldn’t even exist.
Yes, without them, we die.
To knowingly be a bit provocative, let’s consider the word dependent for a moment. Especially when thinking about this country, it’s a somewhat loaded term. Since its inception, the story of this country been one of championing independence. There’s the rugged American individual, the relentlessly ambitious and innovative entrepreneur, the dream of paving your own way, and, yes, The Declaration.
Make no mistake, this story inspires understandably attractive and important possibilities. Even so, from the standpoint of Life with a capital L, independence is a bit odd. In fact, it is arguably a story which is in conflict with Life.
Sincerely, in any context, are we ever truly independent? Biologically, physiologically, psychologically, neurologically, sociologically, and, of course, ecologically, are we? Heck, even economically? Is there truly such a thing as independence?
The fact of the matter is, least of all because of the bacteria in our gut, unless you are being willfully ignorant, you must agree: NO.
Independence is a myth.
To be clear, we are all individuals. We all embody something unique, and we all have the capacity to create something new. And, yes, we all need to do our best. Maintaining our culture as we value it is critical. Being brutally honest with ourselves about the ways in which our story limits us, however, is even urgent. Our obsession with independence has gone too far.
Again, remember your body: we are all part of the eternally interconnected ecosystem of Life, completely dependent upon the nutrient dense soil, the fresh air and the clean water, and upon each other. Yes, we depend upon each other.
If our story does not reflect this reality, which is to say that it does not support Life, then what does it support? Our story can be about what’s real, or it can be a fiction. A fairy tale. We can choose to focus on what we see with our own eyes, and with our microscopes and telescopes, or we can deny it.
Either way, the story is ours to write. We can choose to celebrate the absolute interdependence of our existence, or not. Either way, from the micro to the macro, and for all of us humans in between, interdependence is what’s real.
Quite frankly, I think we’ve spun enough yarns about independence for countless lifetimes. Let’s tell a new tale about our interdependence. To say the least, your gut, and my gut, will appreciate it.
