I travel a good bit, probably about 8-10 weeks per year. So it is very often that I am either coming home, or I am going away from it. Being alone much of the time, I often dwell on what it means to be isolated and a wonderer.
So, what exactly does this mean: “home”? To me “home” is family and friends, and not a physical place. So, If my family and friends were in North Korea, then that would be home. To some this may make sense, but in a nationalistic country like the USA, this often is seen as treason of some sort. To say that I live in North Korea would make me an enemy, despite the fact that it is just a geographical entity. Aren’t North Koreans or Iranians or Iraqis or Afghanis just people with family and friends who live in a geographical region? Why do we have to hate people just because of this fact? It makes no sense to me.
I guess this is why I often have trouble feeling/being proud to be an American. I don’t feel some kind of great, proud, nationalistic identity. In fact, our history of warfare, slavery, and ethnic genocide of the native peoples really disturbs me. Fellow Americans, I hope some of this disturbs you too. So why do some of you think we are so great and our cause always so just? Why are so many of you blind to your hatred?
I really wish I understood this. Because, I think it is human nature to be territorial. But maybe there are laws and limitations to this. I mean really, is afghanistan or Iraq going to invade our country? Yes, there were the terroristic attacks of 9/11, and I think that is all part of the strife here. That modern technology has blurred the line between human nature (being territorial) and over aggression. Perhaps, it is just a self correcting system and Karma will eventually bite us in the ass.
Maybe it already has.
