This is the sad truth of your generation. That obvious belonging, based on committment is missing. Till now it exists for your parents, but in the future even tha t may go. I think you should try to strengthen the link with your country of birth.......
I loved how you refuse the fantasy of a singular home. That belonging isn’t just about where you’re from, but about how willing you are to stay and be shaped by a place. Beautifully said.
Maybe we belong to all the places we want to belong to? Fortunately cities, unlike partners, do not demand exclusivity. I guess cities are more like aunts. You can have many and they love you even if you don’t show up to every family event.
Wonderful essay! I am bookmarking this because I know I will return to it. This matter of trying to understand what is one's 'home' is quite close to my heart, as we've discussed. :)
As someone who’s been living in different cities for the past 3 years and shifting to another city next month, I could relate to it so much!! Beautifully written
This essay resonated with me in many ways. Ditto on being Goan through ancestry but not being able to claim native status! The answer to your last quandary though, I feel, is politics and civic action. If you get drawn into the action needed to make your community, your surroundings better, however small that might be, you start belonging in a far deeper way. Maybe I’ll write about how this panned out for me sometime but just wanted to put that thought out there for now.
This is the sad truth of your generation. That obvious belonging, based on committment is missing. Till now it exists for your parents, but in the future even tha t may go. I think you should try to strengthen the link with your country of birth.......
So true. That’s the aim — to strengthen the bond with India.
I loved how you refuse the fantasy of a singular home. That belonging isn’t just about where you’re from, but about how willing you are to stay and be shaped by a place. Beautifully said.
Thanks so much Apoorvaa! 🤍
Maybe we belong to all the places we want to belong to? Fortunately cities, unlike partners, do not demand exclusivity. I guess cities are more like aunts. You can have many and they love you even if you don’t show up to every family event.
Love the idea that cities are like aunts! I agree, need to embrace the polygamous relationship with all the cities.
Wonderful essay! I am bookmarking this because I know I will return to it. This matter of trying to understand what is one's 'home' is quite close to my heart, as we've discussed. :)
As someone who’s been living in different cities for the past 3 years and shifting to another city next month, I could relate to it so much!! Beautifully written
This essay resonated with me in many ways. Ditto on being Goan through ancestry but not being able to claim native status! The answer to your last quandary though, I feel, is politics and civic action. If you get drawn into the action needed to make your community, your surroundings better, however small that might be, you start belonging in a far deeper way. Maybe I’ll write about how this panned out for me sometime but just wanted to put that thought out there for now.