Harriet Hill
Phoenixville, PA
Born to Dutch dairy farmers in LA, lived life cross-culturally, especially in Africa , now pursuing my first love, making art.
MessageI grew up on a sprawling 100-acre dairy in a tight Dutch community in Los Angelos with pastures as far as the eye could see and the scent of manure in the air. "Smells like money", my brother always said.
I was surrounded with all things Dutch: Dutch parents, Dutch relatives, Dutch visitors, the Christian Reformed Church, the Dutch bakery, the Christian schools, and eventually I was sent to Calvin College just in case I hadn't gotten the message yet.
The first order of business in meeting other Dutch immigrants was Dutch Bingo: finding out how you were related, because you were. And yes, there was great joy hitting Bingo. Then you could get on with other topics.
It was a community that took care of you from birth to the grave and everywhere in between. So much security I found it stifling.
I got out and into the world through the Jesus People, where my life was changed for good, and on to living in Wales, Ireland, Switzerland, Africa . . .
And so I lived with vastly different people in vastly different cultures: Africans of all sorts (and there are many!), Europeans (including Brits), Asians, black and white, rich and poor, and people who thought the food of heaven was dried fish.
They say the best innovations happen at the margins.