How do you think we’re shaped by our homes and the stories we grew up hearing? Is there local folklore that you remember learning about when you grew up or that was passed down in your family?

How do you think we’re shaped by our homes and the stories we grew up hearing? Is there local folklore that you remember learning about when you grew up or that was passed down in your family?

No folklore or stories passed down. What I want to say I am very proud that my maternal grandparents immigrated from Slovakia with four of their young children. My mother number 7 was born in America. When I told a high school friend that my grandparents never spoke English she responded wow you had real grandparents. H’mm do not know what she really meant by that but I liked the comment!

As a grandmother of seven if recently tell my grandchildren stories of their parents, my parents and myself growing up. Recently my 7 year old grand son told me a story he is saving to tell his children. So many lessons can be shared through family stories

No family folklore was passed down. I do think we’re shaped by our family and how we grew up. Our formative years are based on that.

I remember my grandmother telling me stories of her sister, Jennie, in the 1920s. She always told me how much I reminded her of her sister. I'm hoping some of the Jennie stories were folklore and not totally fact! But, it made me a person who isn't afraid to try new things because Jennie wasn't afraid. We are definitely shaped by our family and by the memories that are shared with us.

As children my siblings and I heard many stories about the struggles of the older generations living a difficult and very arduous life on the farm or lumberjacking in the north woods, or getting government food and commodities during the depression. It wasn’t folklore just the real experiences of hardworking people who struggled during a time when there was little leisure and lots of toil. I think the stories of their struggles and perseverance shaped our world views and impressed upon us how fortunate we are to be living in today’s comfort.

The only person in my family who ever told stories was my mom’s mother. She was born in China. Her parents were missionaries and she had wonderful tales about her courageous father and her early life. She even wrote a book. When I was small I used to tell people I was one quarter Chinese!

As I child I often heard stories from my father's family how difficult living was for a family of 12 children in the Midwest. It's wasn't folklore, it was fact. My father started to be responsible for his own well being at age 7. Sweeping the local pool hall, shining shoes on the street, tilling the soil, barefoot are just a few of his young burden. He often commented that he came to California to get the knicks out of his belly. Even though we were not affluent, we always a roof over our heads, food on the table and clean clothes to wear. His view and impressions cemented upon us how fortunate we were to live in better circumstances.

Society puts levels on people - how big is your home, your religion, do you wear the most popular fashion, where do you work, where did you go to school? The answers to those and so many more questions put you in a category and then the world looks on you according to what category you fall in.