Textual Poaching: An Identity Remix

Let me start off this post by telling you a little bit about my parents, Bary and Annette. They're absolutely incredible people, and their marriage is something special. My mom and dad love each other perfectly. They'd argue against me saying that, but I really think it's true. My mom is never on the phone or too busy doing something to ignore the moment my dad gets home. She always kisses him and says hello. My dad works hard to provide for our family, but he doesn't work so hard that he neglects his relationship with her. My parents still have a weekly date night just about every week, for goodness sake. And they're funny, too. Sometimes my dad tickles my mom until she's laughing so hard she can't breathe. My mom makes cute Instagram posts on their anniversary. And I swear that they've mastered telepathy--if one of them starts to tell some joke or story, the other one will immediately go along with it (they once convinced me, for example, that babies aren't born with butt cracks--but that's another story). #relationshipgoals



I think it makes sense to say that much of my identity comes from my parents. I get my strong teeth, brown eyes, and love of Mexican food from my mom, my nose, my high spice tolerance, and my love of reading from my dad. Without their support (emotionally and financially, thanks mom and dad), I never would have developed my talents on the French horn--something that has really shaped who I am. Without their patience, I never would have learned that failure was okay. It's because of them that I identify as a daughter of God. It's because of them that I see myself as capable of being a mom, a wife, and a teacher. And it's because of them that I want to be a parent someday too.

I said previously that my mom makes cute Instagram posts on her and my dad's anniversary. One such post--although cute--has made me laugh for several years: the engagement photo of the 80's. Look at them in their vested glory. When my mom posted this, a caption contest for what my dad was thinking ensued. That smirk is something special. Naturally, when I thought of remixing, I decided that a recreation of this photo with my husband and I needed to happen. So now you'll have to decide: who wore it better?

Barney's essay, "Responding," changed the way I view remixing. Initially I only thought of the music industry as a remixing industry, but now I understand that remixing is happening everywhere. Ad companies remix popular or classic culture to make a point. Painters and poets respond to each others work with their own work. YA authors take old fairy tales and makes them modern. And teachers are constantly remixing as they create lesson plans, unit projects, and information sheets. In fact, I was so inspired by the concept of remixing that I decided to incorporate it into a unit plan for another class. I'm excited to test it out someday and see what my students can create!