I've been thinking a lot about resistance culture this week. This was a big part of my education growing up. I wish there had been a name for it then, or, if there was, that I would have known about it. If I had been able to analyze my situation, and understood some of the factors that made education such a horrible experience, I could have changed it much sooner than I did.
I have also thought about resilience since I interviewed my mom for journal #3. She had the textbook experience of the student in poverty, as did her sister and brother. My mom came out the other side with a diploma, a technical degree and a balanced and thoughtful life. Her younger brother died at the age of 42 from drug and alcohol problems, and her older sister exists (barely) on government assistance. She tried to commit suicide at 16 and has never had a functional adult life. Why, I wonder, did my mother have resilience, when her siblings didn't? I asked her if she had a relationship with an adult who may have pushed her to succeed. She said no, but she was a rule-follower, and she feels that may have kept her in line. Also some opportunities presented themselves at the right time, like being able to go to barber college right out of high school.
I will explore these ideas more thoroughly in the upcoming paper, but wanted to get them down while they were in mind.
