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| Katie Cambron |
Growing up in a small, rural, central Kentucky town, I always dreamed of the day I would make my escape to “the big city.” I could not wait until the day I lived in a place where a tractor didn’t hold up traffic, the smell of tobacco didn’t loom in the air, and no one knew every detail of my life. I had, or so I thought, outgrown the only place I had ever called home.
Little did I know, all those Friday and Saturday nights of serving fried catfish at the restaurant where I worked, the trips to the beauty shop filled with all the juicy gossip, and the sounds of frogs and crickets in the night were a part of me. The move to Louisville was more difficult than I had ever imagined. It quickly became clear that I missed everything that made Springfield home. It seemed that I was the only person on campus who wasn’t enjoying the conveniences of Louisville. That’s when the McConnell Center introduced me to Wendell Berry.
I found comfort in Berry’s writings. It was amazing how much I could relate to the stories he told and characters he described. I was further reminded of the beauties of a more simplistic way of life, one that is filled with faith and the ones we love most. It is often that we get caught in the whirlwind of life and forget where we came from and the home that helped to shape us.
Berry once wrote, “If you don't know where you're from, you'll have a hard time saying where you're going.” Through this quote I have developed a deep appreciation for the small town and the people who have impacted and find optimism for my journey at the University of Louisville. Each and every day I live by the advice of a wise mentor, “Never lose sight of the virtues of faith, family, friends, and fried catfish.”
Katie Cambron, of Washington County, Ky., is a freshman McConnell Scholar at the University of Louisville. She is studying political science and economics.