Tuesday 9 September 2008

I am from (take 2)

Almost exactly 18 months ago I wrote a very similar post, a meme I suppose. It wasn't very easy but interesting to do. I thought it would be a good exercise to try it again to see how it might have changed. With hindsight it would have been more sensible to have written it without any reference to my last effort but, too late.

I am from anywhere.

I am from gentle mists and green hills, lilting voices and music, from a land of poets and artists. And from fairy tales, rebellion and impulsive passions. From running, playing on the sands.

I am from burning sunshine on my back, dry grass and bush fires. I am from white mosquito nets billowing in the evening breeze. I am from the scent of dry earth as the first rains fall, from the bright blades of new grass a few days later. I am from overripe mangoes and guavas dropping from the trees.

I am from cities of romance with breathtaking architecture and amazing art. From strolling and gazing, learning, absorbing the atmosphere, listening and feeling. And delighting in the life.

I am from winding lanes and tall, unkempt hedges, thatched cottages and orchards, from hens hatching their chicks. I am from wandering and wondering, walking in the woods.

I am from an ancient cathedral city. I am from hustle and bustle and traffic and noise, and buildings rooted in history. I am from desks and computers, journals and books, bookshelves and libraries. From information and learning and searching for knowledge. And I am from sanctuary down by the water meadows.

I am from a wide, gentle river and rural landscapes and chatter in a language not wholly familiar. From castles and ruins and rivers and peace. And from reflections, walking by the river.

I am from everywhere.

Where are you from?

No tagging involved but if anyone does or has done the same, do leave me a link in the comments so that I can visit. I'd love it if you would.

13 comments:

  1. This would be a piece hard to follow.

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  2. visiting and reading your post here. thanks

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  3. Good question,
    where are you from?
    It's strange to think about, the material our bodies contents, have allways been somewhere.
    It's nothing new. But the consistent that are now you and me and all we knows around us, are temporally here.

    btw. You asked me about a certain e-mail adress:
    it ends like this @hotmail.com (not hotmail.no) OK

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  4. That's very beautifully written. Love it. I wish I had the time to do the meme myself...

    But I just have to answer:

    ...The World ;-)

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  5. Insightful and well-written.

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  6. I have seen this beautiful meme. Enjoyed reading yours, wonderfully written!!

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  7. Trouble is, doesn't being everywhere make you god? Are you prepared for the responsibilities that would entail. A word of advice - go liste rouge NOW!
    j

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  8. I'm from Singapore. hehehe...

    I'm not even half as good as you, I can't write well.

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  9. I read your post with delight: you are from so many wondrous places. You are so interesting.

    But then I get curious - curious as to the origin of this blog. And so, like a true denizen of the internet, I Google. I Google “I am from”. Only I search in Google Images, as is my custom. I am a very visual person. Even with phrases I search for images.

    An, of course, Google quickly brings me a page of nice pictures. I click on the very first one. It takes me to some lovely cartoon entitled “Overheard in a Coffee shop Bathroom”. And more delightful cartoons by this lady all the way down the page. So interesting!

    But it doesn’t help me in my quest to find the origin of the meme. And so I click on the back button and go back to the page of Google pictures. Now I click on “Web” instead of “Images”, leaving the same search phrase: “I am from”.

    A page of orderly Google text results of web sites. Marvelous. I click on the third one down. I don’t know why number three. It just looks inviting. A place called owlhaven.wordpress.

    And another fine example of an “I Am From” essay. But no explanation of the origin. I am beginning to think it has not origin, that it began with the birth of the internet, spontaneously.

    But, as usual, the blogger duly notes that it is not her original idea, and tells where she found it. Tells in the very first line. I click on the link in that first line, trying to go backwards in time again.

    I am taken to another simply delightful blog called debrasotherthoughts.blogspot. So interesting, so talented are these bloggers I come across, even without the entrecard widget anywhere to be seen. But I want to find the origin of “I am from”, not read another essay on the subject - although this one seems ever so interesting, and I promise myself I will come back to it later. I probably won’t.

    But since this lady also tells where she got the idea, I click on her link called Ihona’s and am taken to a blog called truegrit. Do I finally find my meme origin there? Of course not. But another simply delightful essay on “I am from”... Her link takes me to Praties Place.

    Oh, my!

    Praties Place.

    I begin reading “Gimpl the Simpleton”, translated from the Yiddish by Saul Bellow. I am sucked in. Totally and completely. Enthralled with the writing. How I wish I could write like that! It makes me feel so insignificant. I need to find another occupation: I can’t write at all.

    The story completely takes me over, flies me away to mythical place called Frampol. I watch the characters unfold in my mind. I should be able to blog like this, I think.

    Did I ever find the origin of the meme? No. I sure didn’t. But I think I found out where “I am from”.

    I am from the internet.

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  10. Well, you're all extremely kind.
    Thanks Tor, that email has now gone off.
    J, there's a difference though, between coming *from* everywhere and being everywhere. All the same Liste Rouge is a good idea :)
    ECL, you are an excellent writer!
    Max, you've been rambling, a lovely ramble after my own heart. I finished my original "I Am From" post last year with "I am from the internet".

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  11. Not only an interesting question, but a very readable and insightful answer - thanks for sharing your well written thoughts!

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Forethoughts, afterthoughts, any thoughts. Tell me.

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