Culture and society

The beauty we carry🤭

Lately, something happened that made me begin to think about our culture, not in a big way though, but in the little things around us. The things we grew up with. The things we see but sometimes forget to notice. And honestly, there’s so much beauty in it that we often overlook.

Talking about our society, the way we greet, the way we sit with our elders, the respect we give to visitors, the way we gather around food and share it with laughter, all of that is what I now understand as culture. It’s not just about wearing native clothes or dancing at traditional weddings. It’s in our daily life, in our way of thinking, in our values.

Some people think culture is just about the past, like it’s something old and fading. But no, culture is still very much alive. It lives in us. It’s the reason you kneel to greet your auntie or the reason your mum tells you, “Don’t talk while an elder is speaking.” It’s in those proverbs our grandparents used to say often. Even when we didn’t fully understand them back then, they stayed with us. And now, as we grow, they begin to make sense.

What amazes me sometimes is how we don’t care about these things anymore. We forget them slowly. Everyone is rushing, saying they’re just focusing on life. We’re copying lifestyles we don’t even understand. We post things online that don’t reflect who we truly are. It’s like we’re trying so hard to fit in that we forget we already belong to something beautiful.

I’ve come to understand something important, our culture is not backward. It’s not something to hide or be ashamed of. In fact, it’s what gives us identity. It tells our story, where we came from, who we are, and what we stand for.

Yes, our society has its problems too. I won’t lie. But we also have something many people around the world are longing for community. Here, a neighbor can borrow salt, help raise your child, or call your name across the fence just to greet you. That spirit of "I am, because we are”, that’s something you don’t find everywhere.

Even in celebrations, our values shine. When a child is born, the whole family gathers. When someone passes, the community mourns together. Weddings are not just between two people, they are between families. That togetherness may feel normal, but it’s culture. It’s what binds our society together.

Our culture teaches us deep things in simple ways, respect, patience, honor, sacrifice, and wisdom. Even in our dances, our hairstyles, our stories, there’s always a message. Our ancestors weren’t just being dramatic, they were passing down truth carefully, like fire from one torch to another.

But I won’t pretend it’s all perfect. Some traditions, yes, need to change. Anything that harms or holds people down, especially women or younger ones, needs to be questioned. Culture should never be used to silence or oppress anyone. But instead of throwing everything away, we should fix what’s broken and protect what’s still good. That’s how we grow without losing ourselves.

Speak your language with pride. Wear your native attire with joy. Ask questions about your village, your roots, your name. Don’t let technology or trends wash your identity away. You can still be modern and proud of your culture. Both can walk hand in hand.

Because at the end of the day, if we forget our culture, we lose our memory. And when that memory fades, we lose the beauty of who we are and where we come from. And truly, what’s more painful than forgetting your own story?

Holding on to your culture is a beautiful thing. It’s our fingerprint in this big world, the one thing that cannot be copied.
Our culture should be our pride.