Personal Side of a Developing People

Portrait of America's "Personal Side of a Developing People" was about the life styles of the colonists. Whether they were rich or poor, Southerner or Northerner, farmer or city dweller, freeman or slave they all had a similar way of living with a bit of cultural diversity.

When reading about the early American's lifestyles it seemed to inspire a sense of gratification within me because of how much of a different our daily customs are. Reading how the men and women of our country's past lived showed me a different view at life and how difficult it could have been without the luxuries we own today. The material opened up this feeling of pity within me for the early Americans because of the many possessions we have that we take for granted. It allowed me to better appreciate the materials and comforts we have today such as a flush toilet or a bed without ticks or bugs.

From here I started to thank those people for the hardships they endured for without the suffering and irritation we wouldn't have progressed into a better society. You start to thank them again because the roots of how you live your life now in America are somewhat also based off their customaries. From the marriages to the pregnancies to drinking or smoking we start to see this reflection from the past bounce right into the future. Even though it may have changed there are still traces of this.

Then the reading started to inspire or spark rather my imagination it made me believe that at this exact moment we the people on Earth now is making history for the future to thank to gratify for. Maybe the luxuries we have now may not be in the future or may be improved. Personally this whole passage is showing me that we should be thankful for the benefits we own now and should strive to progress into a better future so that the sacrifices of our early Americans was not in vain.