a bi-cultural upbringing

By all definition, I am Southern. Although I wasn't born in the "Deep South", I was raised here. I say y'all and "yes ma'am" and "no ma'am" and "yes sir" and "no sir". Sweet tea runs through my veins like water. I wear pearls- everyday. I spent thirteen years at the same private school that wouldn't have been founded had it not been for desegragation. I was a debutante (twice). I played outside year round and went barefoot as much as my parents would allow. Most Thanksgivings and Christmases were warm enough to spend the entire day outside. Instead of snow days, I experienced hurricane and tornado days- with the exception of the blizzard of 1993. I learned how to shoot a gun when I was five. By the time I entered Kindergarten, I knew that I cheered for Alabama and not Auburn and that switching sides was not an option, especially after the Iron Bowl. Despite being raised below the Mason-Dixon line, I didn't grow up completely Southern.

My dad was born and raised in a little town in the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch country called Leesport. He met and married my mama in West Virginia, and shortly thereafter, all three of us moved to a suburb in Northeast Philadelphia. Mama got homesick, and within two years, my daddy was a transplant, a Yankee in the midst of an unfamiliar culture- the Deep South. Yes, I was raised in the South with Southern values; however, Daddy did have some influence and the Northern culture was passed along too. I've spent part of every year in Pennsylvania, from the time I moved to Alabama until I graduated from high school. My Southern upbringing was accented with Daddy's select Pennsylvania Dutch phrases, his insistence that I wear ballet shoes to church when every other Southern girl went barefoot, and the sound of excitement in his voice as he cheered on JoePa and Penn State's Nittany Lions on Saturdays in the fall. For good luck on New Year's, Daddy added sauerkraut and pork to the traditional Southern black eyed peas and collard greens. Though far away from his alma matter, Daddy made sure that we experienced Penn State football both in Happy Valley and down South for bowl games. He proudly stood out and refused (and still does refuse) to conform to every aspect of Southern culture which, at times, can be very frustrating.

Now flash forward to this past weekend. This was the first time I had been to PA in almost a year and a half, as studying abroad and working at a camp the last two summers has not been conducive to visiting my family above the Mason-Dixon Line. I can't help it; I love it up there. Pennsylvania isn't home, but it's always been a place where I've felt like I belonged. On Monday morning, Daddy, Robbie, and I went to visit (great) Aunt Edna and (great) Uncle Dave who (on a side note) just celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary. Dave is 90 and battling Alzeheimers; Edna is 84 and trying to take care of Dave (with the help of others). On the way back to the hotel to pick up Mama, Daddy asked Robbie and I if we could navigate our way around the area. Honestly, with my direction sense, probably not; however, I'm not entirely sure that's true. I know the roads (US Hwy 222) and where certain towns are in relation to others (Leesport, Reading, Wyomissing). I practically grew up in the area. He also asked us what we thought about our bi-cultural upbringing, if we were glad to have been raised both Southern and Northern, if we appreciated the Yankee Seip traditions as much as we do the Southern McLean traditions.  

As a total Daddy's girl, my answer was, and still is, yes- absolutely. I've always felt more connected to the Seip side of my family rather than the McLean side (Mama's side). For one, I look just like my dad and have been told my entire life that if Rob Seip were female, he would look like me. Also, I've inherited the horrible Gibson/Seip family eye sight and inability to sleep. My interests tend to come from my dad's side- my fascination with maps and foreign places, my love for history, travel, and sports, my thirst for books and learning. Daddy's side of the family has always been intriguing: the original Seip clan came over from Germany in the 1700s, and for the last 300 years, they have lived within a 10 mile radius of where the originals settled in Eastern Pennsylvania long ago. Few moved until their health and age required them to do otherwise, like my grandparents who moved to Muhlenberg after living in the same house in Leesport for 46 years.

As far as my bi-cultural upbringing, I wouldn't trade it for the world. My vantage point and view of the world has changed with each visit to the "homeland". I've learned new things about my beloved South from those not living amidst the fried chicken and hospitality and experienced a different lifestyle for a few weeks out of every year. As I bounced back and forth between Pennsylvania and Alabama, I learned how to adapt. My Daddy instilled in me a work ethic that came from being raised in a land not known for its hospitality or charm. While I was discovering who I was in a part of the country that tended to push conformity, Daddy encouraged me to be Ashton and not anyone else. I've loved growing up in both worlds. I love the South for the people, the culture, the weather, and the excitement that I feel each time my accent confirms my Southern upbringing. I love the North for the people (and the warmth they do not exude), the landscape, and the sense of belonging that I feel every time I see the familiar sights that are far away from the place that I call "home". It's been wonderful, and I think Daddy was right when he said that my Berks County heritage is something that I will appreciate more and more with time. But with that I can't help but believe that I'll always be a Southern girl at heart...