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, August 9, 2020

2020 Friends

 

My Friends

 

 

I have always been a philosopher....

 

There are many categories of people that I know

 Most people I meet are not interested in me because they are busy with other things in life.

Then, there are those who want to use me because I have something that they want.

Those who are curious about me, because I am unusual, but drop me when their curiosity is satisfied

Those who want me to entertain them because they are bored., and then  drop me when they find something more interesting to distract them

Those who want to control me, and  play with me like a cat plays with a mouse to enjoy their power over me

Those who want to hurt and abuse  me and destroy my idealism

Those who were my friends , but didn’t like what they found , and who have fled in disgust or terror

 Some are a mixture of all of the above, and some are still in the process of deciding which category  they will be for me

 

The rest, the exceptions, are my friends,

and there aren’t many...

 

 

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