Was just eating an “Irish-ised” Burrito (delivered by a Lebanese guy) while reflecting on Cinco de Mayo – a celebration of Mexico’s unity and the defeat of Imperialist (Napoleonic) France.
Somehow my thoughts were turned to globalization and how remarkably blessed I am to be born in the era I am. I am not sure I can put it into words… the profound thoughts but I will try. Like the Irish-ised burrito mentioned above –
I am the product of mixing of cultures and the global melting pot has that influenced my life.
An American by birth, I am the descendant of mixed Norwegian/German/UK (Scottish/English/Welsh) ancestry. I have a Mexican / native tribe mixed step mom. My roommate is French/Algerian. My best friends in Ireland are English (though she says she is Jewish), Italian, French, American and Irish.
My neighbors around me are made up of Immigrants whose children play together – Syrian Refugees, Polish, Lithuanian, Spanish, Dutch, and Irish.
Soon I will apply to be naturalized in Ireland -which will make me both Irish and American on paper. More importantly I will be Amero-European.
I have lived in 4 countries and traveled in many more. When someone asks me where home is and where I would dream of going back to spend my elderly days – I cannot honestly answer. Home is where I am at a given moment in time. My family biologically will always be my family but profoundly – I find that my family is also made up of all of these people around me who hail from around the globe and yet share my life too. I don’t see them as labels of “where they are from” or “their religion” or even “a different culture”. I simply see them as people – the humans I care about, laugh with, cry with, share joy and pain and sometimes even grief with.
It makes me smile. It gives me hope. I see us get along every day and I know it is possible if we look beyond the labels. If we gaze into eyes and hearts and minds and find the common ground of our humanity. I see proof, living and breathing every day that we as humans can be so much more and so very beautiful.
I am rich. No not money wise. But in another way that feeds my spirit. And I am thankful.
And yah. All that thinking- because of a Burrito, delivered by a guy, to a hungry girl, on an Island…. none of which actually started out … Here.
