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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Sunday, October 11, 2009

Suicide vests,correspondence, slothfulness and complacency

Just trying to get people to reply to my E-mail,text messages or phone calls these days seems to be harder than climbing Everest in the winter with your hands tied behind your back.

So much for technology improving communication.

Is it just the slothfulness, the fecklessness or the complacency of human nature?

or is it the 'busyness' of modern civilisation.

Maybe they are the same thing?


Or is it that my correspondents are trying to send me a message?

(or that they are not trying to send me a message ha! ha!)

Perhaps arriving next to correspondents with a suicide vest might do the trick.

But then that just might defeat the purpose and be a little harsh on the correspondents?

Yes, perhaps a slight overreaction.

I mustn't get carried away.(excuse pun!)
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4 comments:

  1. UnknownOctober 13, 2009 at 4:12 AM

    Perhaps like me others want to send a message but are not as good as you at expressing the anguish and the dilemmas in their lives and so end up simply remaining silent and inward- looking. Yes we should share thoughts more often but sometimes one is too caught up in personal and professional events and turmoils to be able to do so. Don't let that upset you!
    - Karuna

    ReplyDelete
  2. OutsiderOctober 14, 2009 at 12:29 AM

    Hello Karuna!

    What a delight to hear from you and such a pleasure to see that you are reading my stuff!

    You are absolutely correct of course in your analysis of my psychologial condition.

    Coincidentally, I watched "Passage to India " again last night (on my own) and was mesmerized by it.

    I thought to myself...

    "Why haven't l lived in India yet?"

    I don't know anything about India.

    Hope you and Sunil and your daughter are all doing well.

    The family is impossible to talk about in this forum.

    How little I know about anything.

    Don

    ReplyDelete
  3. DCOctober 21, 2009 at 11:13 AM

    I need help. My best chum tells me either I am a sloth or I am slothful or both. He actually said I wasn't a sloth but that I was slothful. I think he was just being kind about the sloth bit. Anyway, what can I do about it?

    ReplyDelete
  4. OutsiderMarch 26, 2010 at 2:56 AM

    DC,

    You area buffoon, not a sloth.
    It took me six months to peick up your comment!

    ReplyDelete

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