Outsider


I grew up in Northern Ireland and have been a teacher and lived in England, Ghana, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Malawi, Mexico, Colombia, The United Arab Emirates, Australia, Brunei Darussalam and Malaysia.

These are my memoirs which are arranged chronologically by year. Much is social commentary.

Aside from narrative recount, the style is often anecdotal, aphoristic and ironical. I try to soften the heavy social commentary with humour. Some friends have said I tend to 'rant' at times. I don't deny it! Perhaps it is the Irish in me. I apologise in advance then, if that is your impression too.

I do not intend to stereotype various nationalities but inevitably I will generalise for dramatic effect.

In a globalised multicultural world there is an urgent need to identify and face up to our national idiosyncracies and shortcomings. Nationalism has always seemed to me to be a bogus substitute for a genuine sense of connectedness and community. It is a highly dangerous concept when manipulated by politicians to get citizens to do things that are unpalatable to them-like going to war for instance.

If we don't begin to see ourselves as others perceive us - and not as we would like to see ourselves, then catastrophe looms.

I contend we can be comfortable with our heritage and still be able to criticize and even laugh at ourselves at the same time.


The two are not mutually exclusive.

Outsiders are in a unique position to show us our shortcomings because we simply cannot see them ourselves.

I believe that no culture has found the ideal 'solutions' to the challenges of life. Every culture I have lived in has both positive and disturbing characteristics.

In which cultures do people appear happiest? (notwithstanding natural and man-made disasters such as war and famine)

What question can be more profound than that?

The results may be surprising. In my experience, the happiest cultures were Ghana, Malawi, Mexico and Colombia. At the bottom of the list would be England, Ireland and Australia.

I think we need to learn from each other-not try to 'teach' each other...there is a big difference.

Please send me an E-mail if you would like to comment on anything.


Outsider


Outsider1952@gmail.com









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Monday, June 15, 2009

The Octopus of life

I was thinking of a metaphor to describe my present situation and into my mind came this image of the octopus at the Carnival.

When I was a little boy in Ireland every summer the Carnival used to come to Dundonald. I could see it from my bedroom window at night.

I don't think I ever partook of the pleasure, but we drove past it sometimes, and I'm pretty sure I visited it on foot to watch with some mates when I was a youngster.

The Octopus was exactly that - a mechanical device which whirled couples or small groups of friends or families around in their little metal capsules in all directions.

At any given moment the capsules could be spinning in the opposite direction or moving up or down on the giant mechanical arms.

It was chaos!

I feel now here in my little room in Adelaide like when I was a child watching the octopus.

The little capsules are metaphors for the people I meet here every day. Friends and colleagueshave their own little capsule which they have carefully built to protect them from the vicissitudes of life on the 'Octopus'.

But after all these years I still seemto be watching the Octopus.

I have no capsule. I am still not able to go for a ride.

I want my own capsule-even if it is spinning out of control.

Outsider!

Will I always be?
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