Dinner Time

I have had some unusual experiences at dinner. My family isn't very religious so we've never really said grace before at dinner. My grandparents however are very religious and before every meal they say grace. One time we were visiting them in Florida and we all sat down to have dinner. Little did I know I would have to be the one to say grace. When my granddad insisted I say the prayer, I had no idea what to say. All I said was "Thank you for the food" and after that the dinner was very awkward. Since then I have practiced my prayers to say before dinner.

Namesake

I love my name for what it is. I am so happy my parents have picked it because I have never had trouble with my name. I like the way it sounds and I get a lot of compliments on it. When I was born my parents wanted to name me a  inch of weird nines like dazzle dazzle or speck but luckily they decided with Jack. I think having a foreign name like Gogil would be hard because you could get teased for it or it just doesn't sound good to you. Knowing the background of your name can help a lot as well to make your name more bare able.

Heritage and Tradition

Tradition is very important to me because my dad was born outside of the U.S.  His culture was similar to the U.S. when he was growing up, but there are subtle differences.  Because Australia was colonized by the British, its culture shares many similarities with that of the United States.  As a result of this, I have grown up experiencing both Australian and American traditions.  I celebrate the Fourth of July, and I eat vegemite on occasion, for example.  Although my traditions and heritage may not be as diverse as those of outer students whose parents are both first generation immigrants from different cultures, I think that it has made my life and experience a lot better because of it.  I consider myself American, and I was born in the United States.  At the same time, I think my traditions are important because they are a part of my identity.  Without my dad and his Australian heritage, and without my mother and her heritage, I would be a completely different person.  I would not be Jack Dickinson.