Hello, SPM readers. My name is Mary Richardson.
An enduring and relentless curiosity has driven me towards any form of creation and all sorts of people. When I see a new kind of dance, I just can’t help but try to imitate the moves (awkwardly). When I hear a new language, I just can’t help but try to piece together the sounds in my mind (unsuccessfully). My feet are usually marked up from wandering place to place and my voice raspy from asking too many questions to new people. Hopefully, these qualities err on the side of endearing rather than pathetic. (Did I mention I’m optimistic?)
Naturally, I pounced on the opportunity to be a culture blogger.
I’ve heard more than once that Arizona doesn’t have a distinctive culture. I know this is meant to be an insult to the community, but I think ‘Well, thank god.’ If it did, then I wouldn’t have anything to write about. The flux in population has dramatically changed the traditional social mores, art, and customs in the area. I plan to use this blog to highlight merging cultures and developing subcultures in the urban area. The rapid metropolitan growth makes it hard to keep up, but I’m more than eager to try.
Ultimately, I want to write this to challenge my readers and myself to incorporate and appreciate the cultural range that surrounds us. I think there’s value in being aware, present, and mindful of the cultural changes occurring in art, food, music, literature, thought.
Because only so much can be said in 300-500 words, I will also try to include rich visual material in each post.
Monotony collapses time, novelty unfolds it, and culture provides meaning to it. So why not escape the daily grind by seeking out cultural opportunities (or at least reading this blog)?
Culture is defined as “the arts and other manifestations of human intellectual achievement regarded collectively.”
And vulture as “a person or thing that preys, especially greedily or ruthlessly.”
I just can’t help myself.
