I Am From

Never thought I'd enjoy an RA training assignment.

Recently we had to pull something together for RA training. It was a sort of free form description of where you were from. Not just geographically, but the experiences, the culture, the people, and the other things that make you you. I actually had some fun putting mine together, and figured I'd share it with anyone who might care to listen. Here goes.


I am from the land of prose. Sorry, no poetry here.

I am from the land of trees. If you are from either a city or North Dakota, imagine a really big, really thick stalk of grass. That’s a tree. They’re great. You can climb them and build things from them and they block the wind. And unlike in a city, the air around them is always clean and fresh, even when it’s hot. That’s probably good for the lungs or something, but I’m no doctor.

I am from the land of white, sandy beaches. Most evenings, I sit with my friends beneath the leafy fronds of the palm trees and enjoy the sunset and the beautiful smiles of the margarita-bearing women. The margaritas are free. Also, it’s always evening. We try not to work too hard there.

I am from the land of dragons. It’s off the edge of the map, but that’s where all the best things are found. Some people have a hard time getting there. Some people don’t even know that it exists. Me… I’m not sure I ever leave.

I am from the land of steak. Because killing cows and grilling their flesh is delicious.

I am from the land of gods. With a lower case g; I am one of the many. I hold worlds in my hands, and mountains rise and fall at my whim. I control the destinies of men and women, of heroes and legends, of kingdoms and empires. It’s not a bad gig. Sometimes it gets to be a lot to keep track of, and sometime I’m a little strapped for time, but in the end, it’s worth it.

I am from the land of bonfires. We throw wild rumpuses around them late at night, dancing and howling and gnashing our terrible teeth and rolling our terrible eyes and showing our terrible claws. Sometimes we light things on fire that were never intended to be lit on fire. Once in a while, we light ourselves on fire. More howling.

I am from the land of endings. Some endings leave tears of joy in your eyes. Some leave tears of sorrow. The good ones are so exciting that you can hardly breathe. The bad ones just stop without really giving you any resolution.