I've Got Nowhere To Call Home..In More Ways Than One

After a bit of thought I decided to post this here as, after further exploring some of the ideas expressed here I decided the deeper topic was considerably more extensive than my personal situation and set of circumstances.

I was born in and live in Australia. My fathers side originat in the Isle of Man an island in the Irish Sea west of England. Roots: Celtic, partially Norse) I'm not sure what percentage of blood it is as white Australian blood is mixed (English, Irish and Scottish mainly) although I do know the surname originates nowhere else as it is a Manx word. My Mums side is from Malta (small island in the Mediterranean in between Sicily and Tunisia. Roots; Phoenician, Sicillian, Spanish, Greek, Arabic. Language: Maltese, mixture of a north African dialect of Arabic and Sicillian dialect Italian, Europes only official Semitic language) who migrated here post-WW2.

Whilst I do love the great land of Australia and a good deal about the society here, something is missing.

This is certainly not my land nor is the topic at hand one of ownership claim. My point is, this land has been inhabited by the indigenous people for 20,000+ years prior to the Brittish crown establishing a penal colony on their land sending prisoners from England, Ireland, Scotland and possibly Wales only 224 years ago, a fraction of a blink of an eye since the first documented existence of man.

So where is my home? The Isle of Man? Malta? Australia?

Many of you can probably relate, white; Kiwi's, Americans, South Africans etc. We don't live on the lands of our forefathers and mothers.

I feel so much has been lost.

It's only through my own research and learning from family that I've been lucky enough to learn Maltese and recently learned of the traditions, language, culture and gods of my forefathers. I'm also the first born son of the first born son of the first born son of the.... On my fathers side and as family legend would have it, heir to property and a castle on the Isle of Man.

What does it matter?

Everything you are is a result of the interaction of DNA and blood of all those who came before you. Personally, I feel a yearning for a home that is dear to me yet, at present difficult to accurately describe and certainly more difficult to locate.

I'm not sure if it's another town, country, time, planet or otherwise yet, it's where I'm drawn and what I strive for.

As the old saying goes, 'home is where the heart is' but where exactly is that?

Does anyone else have a similar feeling or am I just over thinking here?

reply to post by Pirateofpsychonautics


Hi op

I can relate.

Born in glasgow 77
moved to england at 8 yo with a full blown scottish accent which was hard to understand
and took years to speak in an english accent

then i moved back to scotland 10 yrs later
and lived there for a year, it didnt feel right so i moved back to england,
but england and scotland dont feel right for me but england is now my daughters home

reply to post by davesmart


Wow, well I hope you find what you're after mate and thanks for the response. I'm a bit similar in the way I was born in Melbourne, grew up in the country wanting to be in Melbourne, been living in Melbourne the last 3 years and recently deciding between my girlfrien and I that our goal is to move back to the country and buy a a house on land.

Then I/w'll probably miss the bloody city!

It gets me thinking though that maybe it's a lesson that; there is a higher dwelling than the physical cube we inhabit on some land on some land my ancestors lived prior to arriving there from somewhere else and so on.

But where?

For the record I by no way in any sense religious one way or the other. More for the fact that no conventional religion, cult, sect or otherwise have been able to convince me overwhelmingly of the one true way.

I can relate too. What really bothers me is the "Indigenous People" label....as if I was born off planet.
Me? Family in the USA as far back as Jamestown...now that's a mixed salad of DNA!

reply to post by Pirateofpsychonautics


You are not alone, most definitely. I'm feeling like this for years, been travelling and stayed in many places, trying to find my place in the world or at least a feeling of belonging. I never felt truly 'at home', especially not in my home country which I always thought of myself as a complete stranger. I almost found my place but then I had to move again, but i'm not troubled by that feeling anymore. I realize that home is where you are around people you love to be with, and it could be anywhere.

Here's a little song made by Johnny Cash, this song is following my travelling for some years now, he was singing on just about that feeling. Hope you'll enjoy and it will cheer you up.

reply to post by Shuye


ThAmos for sharing and for the song, it's awesome! I may also use it to sample for music makin of my own if I can find it on vinyl, will have to investigate..

reply to post by Pirateofpsychonautics

Mate, I am a third generation Aussie also living in Melbourne, also with Irish, Scottish and English roots.
I would love to visit Ireland and Scotland to see where my ancestors come from. I know the Scottish were from Banff up the top. And the Irish are from Scariff in Clare and Dunganstown in Wicklow.
With the English part, not really interested sadly although they're from Wiltshire.
As far as I am concerned, I was born here, raised here and that makes me an Australian.
I am not of Koori descent so I dont stake a claim in ownership of the land, I have never been happy with the way they have been treated but thats another story.
Where you are born is your nationality, even though you may have blood from somewhere else, in your case like me you have varied ancestry, but you are an Aussie.

I can relate. Born in Switzerland, moved to Spain when I was 7 and then moved to the UK at 18. I have strong connections to Switzerland but can't live there because I don't feel like I fit in. I went to an english school in Spain so english turned out my strongest language so I decided to move to UK. I blend in quite well, no one can tell I'm an immigrant

Home is where the heart is.

Originally posted by kudegras
reply to post by Pirateofpsychonautics

 

Mate, I am a third generation Aussie also living in Melbourne, also with Irish, Scottish and English roots.
I would love to visit Ireland and Scotland to see where my ancestors come from. I know the Scottish were from Banff up the top. And the Irish are from Scariff in Clare and Dunganstown in Wicklow.
With the English part, not really interested sadly although they're from Wiltshire.
As far as I am concerned, I was born here, raised here and that makes me an Australian.
I am not of Koori descent so I dont stake a claim in ownership of the land, I have never been happy with the way they have been treated but thats another story.
Where you are born is your nationality, even though you may have blood from somewhere else, in your case like me you have varied ancestry, but you are an Aussie.

Originally posted by kudegras
reply to post by Pirateofpsychonautics

 

Mate, I am a third generation Aussie also living in Melbourne, also with Irish, Scottish and English roots.
I would love to visit Ireland and Scotland to see where my ancestors come from. I know the Scottish were from Banff up the top. And the Irish are from Scariff in Clare and Dunganstown in Wicklow.
With the English part, not really interested sadly although they're from Wiltshire.
As far as I am concerned, I was born here, raised here and that makes me an Australian.
I am not of Koori descent so I dont stake a claim in ownership of the land, I have never been happy with the way they have been treated but thats another story.
Where you are born is your nationality, even though you may have blood from somewhere else, in your case like me you have varied ancestry, but you are an Aussie.

Don't get me wrong I'm proud to be Australian but To me, on a spiritual and ancestral level that doesnt mean much unless you're indigenous.

That's awesome you know where all of your family was from, not enough people do

I'm trying to do research in to my roots back to the Isle of Man but it's a hard task as my old man doesn't know a heap, my Pa's. Passed away and I've met one of my Dafs auntie a few tomes from that side and that's it.

Originally posted by Swizzy
I can relate. Born in Switzerland, moved to Spain when I was 7 and then moved to the UK at 18. I have strong connections to Switzerland but can't live there because I don't feel like I fit in. I went to an english school in Spain so english turned out my strongest language so I decided to move to UK. I blend in quite well, no one can tell I'm an immigrant

That's quite a story, I bet you have an interesting accent!

reply to post by Pirateofpsychonautics


My sister is addicted to ancestry.com and has traced our lineage a fair way back. In fact our earliest known ancestor was in England around 1490 or something, bit hard to really legitimize it but she says its true.

White Aussie from Melbourne currently living in Malaysia.

I personally think as you said that home is where the heart is.
Get to where you wanna be, contribute to society, be polite and respectful of local customs, most importantly be happy

Consider yourself a citizen of the world rather than a member of some club based on imaginary lines on a map