Global Citizen

There is a lot that I'm learning and beginning to accept about myself. I think I always knew a lot of these things, but when I moved to the States....everything I did - everything I was became wrong.

I've come to recognize and accept that most people do not talk about cultural things or even really acknowledge the existence of their own culture in everyday life. Being a TCK doesn't really warrant you that opportunity. It becomes second nature to be inquisitive and interested in most all things culture latent.

That being said, I'm curious if other TCK's are this way:

I have a hard time telling others what I think. More specific, I have a hard time developing an opinion about much of anything. This is a phenomenon that seems to be more prevalent the older I become.



When I was younger, as I'm sure it is for the majority of people from any culture, I grasped onto my parent's culture. They are Christian. They are educators. My mom is from the south so we had cornbread and black-eyed peas for New Year's eve. My dad is from the north so we always had to have a pastie when we went up to the U.P. (Upper Peninsula of Michigan). I know those are only a few things that I'm naming and a lot had to do with food, but hopefully you get my point. I've mentioned this in other posts, but I was drawn to the stories my parents would tell longing for the day that I could live in the States and participate in a similar lifestyle. I dreamed of having a family and being a career woman. Oddly enough, I never dreamed about traveling much. I had set in my mind that I was an American and that I was going to live a very similar lifestyle that my own parents did.

They say that TCK's go through a delayed adolescence. I see the truth in that. It's been a long time coming and I'm still discovering who I am. Perhaps that's why I'm attracted to all things personality...but even more than that - I think it's a TCK trait.

We are very good at observing our surroundings. We don't often give our opinions right away because we want to discover what the "norm" is and that "norm" has changed so often in our lives that, as stated earlier, it becomes second nature. We want to figure out who you are before we allow ourselves to jump in.

I use to think being a chameleon was a sign of being untrue to oneself, but I'm slowly realizing the positive value in my capabilities. I have the ability to understand a wide variety of people with little to no judgement. I have a want to understand who people are and their backgrounds.

Yes, it becomes lonely when you're the only one asking questions. Yes, it becomes confusing when you're only learning about other people and not taking the time to discover who you really are. Many TCK's struggle with identity and rootlessness and it's very understandable. I believe those things have contributed greatly to my depression and PMDD. However, I'm accepting that this IS part of my identity and there is nothing wrong with it. It feels odd to not fully immerse yourself in one culture. People look at you funny or can't always understand or want to understand, but the beauty is that we are true global citizens. We are not closed off to one way of being. We are mailable, flexible, ever-learning people.

For once in my life I can say I'm proud of where I've been. I'm proud of who I've become and I'm looking forward to this continued journey!