a-ha

“Take on Me” by a-ha holds more meaning than most songs in my life. On my sister’s thirteenth birthday a few years ago, my family spent the day at a national park. We brought food for a picnic, we hiked, played Kan Jam, and honestly just had a really nice time. We simply enjoyed each other’s company and spent the afternoon drama-free. Afterwards, we went to a local hot dog shop called for dinner. As we were getting ready to leave, “Take on Me” began playing in the restaurant. My dad is six-foot-seven, reserved, and a fairly intimidating person if you do not know him. However, he just started singing along and dancing around the restaurant like a complete weirdo. My entire family joined in on the silliness and made fools of ourselves in front of the other customers. Even the entire restaurant staff all started singing and dancing behind the counter. To this day, that experience is one of my very favorite memories of my entire nineteen-year existence. That sweet time was pure joy. Pure and joy. 

            Reflecting back, this three-minute experience communicates a lot about my personal values as well as values we hold as Americans. Thankfully, I have a family who loves and supports me in everything I do; they are not perfect, but they are about as close as you get. I could not imagine not having this support, so naturally, I value familial relationships. Similarly, American culture also values the family unit. The “American Dream” includes a husband, or wife, along with two-and-a-half kids – give or take a half. American culture sees the family as a place for developing moral and knowledgeable citizens. This is only an ideal and is more often than not untrue of most families. However, this notion is still an important part of American culture and ideology. My experience is more than just a personal story – it relates how American culture, as well as myself, values family.