Sense of Place; Sense of Self

In response to my new blog, my wonderful father, who always gave me a strong sense of self and place, sent me an email last night. I've put an excerpt below since it's well worth pondering:

"What we are witnessing in America and indeed much of the world is the homogenization of our cultures. As one drives into any town or walks down any street we see the same stores, markets, business names and malls. The same images assail our senses from walls, windows and sidewalks as we have experienced a thousand times in other places.
So, if everywhere we look we see the same images, why then do we not feel at home anywhere? Perhaps it is because we are not living our life, but someone else’s image of our life. Perhaps we resent our loss of individuality. . . .

Over many years of life I have come to believe that one’s true sense of place must ultimately come from inside one’s self. It is something an individual must carry with them as an attitude toward the world and in their recognition of the greater world and their place in it. It is something that at the present time, requires far more strength of character, more individual spirit than in times past. I believe in the future it will continue to become even more difficult to establish ones sense of place, for when the population increases the individual is more and more reduced to just another number." (Harlan Finnemore)