Thanks Alison. Your words as ever resonate with my own thoughts and feelings. I love the idea that you have ‘naturalised’ in Ireland! Keep sharing your wisdom...more people are listening than you realise. xxx
Of course your boys will win; they're fantastic... I'm going out to Marseilles on Thursday(with my son and son in law) for the two quarters that are playing there this weekend, just in time to see England humiliated by the Fijians! Substack... okay. I've not explored that one - is that the one you're on? I'm still a wordpress sort of guy! There's a chance that we might be holidaying in your neck of the green next year. If it comes about, I'll let you know...
Don't tell Conor, he'll be green with envy. He's had his fair share of rugby trips to Marseilles tbh. 😄 You'll have a great time. It would be fab to see you if you're over here next year, I'd love to show you around! 😍
New writing style - yes, I'm actually considering it, after 30 years mostly giving useful information in my newsletters! Not sure how to do and still get a message about transformation across to others, but will think about it. My October news was about moving into the liminal spaces to visit with ancestors, and I did tell a brief story about requesting help from my ancestor medical team (my father and his 3 brothers, all deceased MDs) in getting a much-needed appointment I was being denied, and having what I needed in about 12 hours.
I am so happy for you, dear Ali! You are deeply connected to Ireland, and you deserve to be a bonafide citizen. Although I am an American citizen, I adore Ireland and the time I spend there. Your writing over the years has deepened my experience with the land, and I will be forever grateful. I have done a fair amount of studying Ireland's history and customs and myths. I find that you know far more about Ireland than the average Irish citizen. You love the land and have every right to claim her as your own. Woohoo!
I so appreciate the way you are willing to make yourself vulnerable in your poignant writing for your readers to see and identify with. I'm thinking that perhaps I should do more of that in my monthly newsletter.
Stop it! You'll have me bawling! 😭😅 You may be American but you are Irish at heart, Robin. 💚 I admit I was a bit anxious about writing this one, it seemed too personal and perhaps indulgent, but I seem to have hit a nerve. I really enjoyed your newsletter about your last visit to Ireland. The way I see it, it's your newsletter, people who read it want to know about you. You can absolutely try out any writing styles you like to see what people respond to most, and have fun doing it. 😘
Congratulations Ali! Your beautiful post is so heartfelt and moving, plus I love your references to Braiding Sweetgrass. As a French national married to an Irish man, bringing up 4 bi-national children and feeling at home in Ireland (been here 13 years), I really resonate with your idea of being naturalised, like the humble and potent plantain. Thank you for your words and reflections on identity and belonging - I see myself in them.
Thank you Annette, that is so good to know! Braiding Sweetgrass was a book I read for college last year, but I had to fly through it so quickly for the module, that I knew I had to come back to it. A lot has changed in the year that has passed since I last picked it up. Now, it seems to resonate so much with my personal journey, that I am astonished anew with every chapter! It seems our journeys are quite similar, and that is reassuring to know. Thank you so much for your words, and for being here. 😄
Hi Ali - as someone who has moved from Ireland to Canada (40 years and citizenship after 18 years there) and now back again to Ireland, I’m familiar with that insider/outsider feeling. But there’s real strength in it. You see things that insider/insiders don’t and can appreciate the strangeness, beauty and wonder of Ireland, even as you feel the frustrations of its overly-bureaucratic processes and lack of care for many people. You are making a difference for all of us here, and in the end, that’s the best any of us can hope to do. Naturalised plants are those that fit comfortably in their new surrounding and add to rather than take from biodiversity.
Hi Finola! Honestly, you think you know someone... I had no idea you had lived in Canada, let alone for so long, or got your citizenship. I am surprised, reading these comments, how many people feel caught between two nationalities, it's obviously a kind of trauma which we don't really talk about. It definitely seems to be a conversation worth having, though. Do you feel, now, that you are back where you belong, or has a life in Canada had some impact on that. I always think of you as deeply embedded in the land of Ireland, through your archaeology and your plant knowledge.
Honestly, I feel nothing but privileged to have lived in both places. I felt totally accepted and at home in Canada but I never felt entirely Canadian - I think actually that’s a common thing in Canada, which is a land of immigrants. Now that I’m back I am grateful for the perspective my long absence has given me, as well as the perspective of growing up here.
Hi Ali. What's the 'Stack? I'm sure I should know but..
I'm pretty good. The odd little creak and groan. Still embedded in sooty London life, still writing, still wondering where Great English Novel is hiding. I guess you're all wrapped up in rugby. I really hope they do it, given England don't deserve to still be there how they are playing.
Substack, as a writing platform. I am doing my best to not notice the rugby but it's practically 24hr in this house, even when it's off season. Ireland are playing New Zealand in the quarter final this Saturday, I think, so they could go out then. We shall see... I will be watching on Saturday, of course! 😄🏉
Geoffle!!! How amazing to see you here... are you considering moving to the 'Stack? I am an unfinished scarf with loose stitches and a few dropped threads slowly winding myself into Irish culture, I think! 🤣🧣🍀 As for landscapes, you are firmly embedded in your idyllic garden, doing so much for nature in the city... how are you?
Ah... Ross! How lovely to receive your comment, and thank you so much for your kindness. Yes, our experiences are in reverse... Irish people are very adventurous in moving out into the world and mixing with different cultures. I once met 3 Peruvian lads in Cusco back in 1999 long before I had ever been to Ireland or formed any connection with it, who claimed to be of Irish descent, they had opened an Irish bar, the only Irish thing about it was the Guinness in cans! But they longed for Ireland even though they had never been. I wonder if Irish people who make their lives elsewhere feel rootless, a permenant sense of homesickness, maybe, or that their connection to Ireland as home and their place of belonging firmly anchors them?
Congratulations on obtaining your Irish citizenship, Ali. Through your article here I read a lot of perception. Through my life two things I’ve never allowed space for within me, Nationalism and Religion. I’ve no idea how I was taught this, though on my father’s side nobody seemed to have time for either. Mother’s side a lot different, and got annoyed at my attitude, yet most of them were very kind people.
Look at other species of animals, birds, insects, plants etc., and neither Nationalism or Religion are part of their lives and not concepts they understand, yet they can be tribal and territorial. Tribal and territorial is move flowing than the fixed Nationalism and Religion.
Another thing I do not have time for are Nationalists and Religious people who grab folklore and enforce ‘compliance’ to it, when what they are really trying to do is use folklore as a strange verification for their identity with their Nationalism and Religion.
I suppose I may do something similar when I use folklore as a verification of the flow of life through what we call nature, how the water flows, weather changes, seasonal changes and following through the cycles of plants, trees and how we adapt. To me, that is connection and you can be anywhere to feel that, feel at one, and not feel you have stepped out of a Nation or Religion, that I have always believed are ‘fake’ identities.
Both Nationalism and Religion also support the ‘fake’ patriarchal agenda of existence of male superiority and female subversiveness that no body is born with, but are cultured into from the moment of birth. Look at all of the current wars and uprisings, and Political swings. It all seems to be about re-enforcing male superiority and female subversiveness rather than balance.
I think you are doing ok Ali. You seem to recognise where real connection is, if only you could let go of maybe guilt of not carrying strong Nationalism or Religion. Who needs either? Like a former alcoholic who no longer needs a drink, though others are trying to lure the person back to the pub, or be alienated.
Alientation upon us seem to be strongest from people who have tried to disconnect from nature and life. Trust your flow. It’s there :-)
Thanks, John. Your kind and thoughtful words have really moved me... I don't know why but I am so watery lately! 😭 I agree with you totally about nationalism and religion. Re the tribal nature of animals, I have seen a lot of video clips in recent months of inter-species friendships, and mother animals adopting infants from other species (damn Insta for keeping me glued to my screen! 😄) and I think of the wild willow blending its genes and hybridising itself so easily, and if nature can be so accepting, why can't humans?
Thanks Alison. Your words as ever resonate with my own thoughts and feelings. I love the idea that you have ‘naturalised’ in Ireland! Keep sharing your wisdom...more people are listening than you realise. xxx
Thanks, Jenni xxx
Of course your boys will win; they're fantastic... I'm going out to Marseilles on Thursday(with my son and son in law) for the two quarters that are playing there this weekend, just in time to see England humiliated by the Fijians! Substack... okay. I've not explored that one - is that the one you're on? I'm still a wordpress sort of guy! There's a chance that we might be holidaying in your neck of the green next year. If it comes about, I'll let you know...
Don't tell Conor, he'll be green with envy. He's had his fair share of rugby trips to Marseilles tbh. 😄 You'll have a great time. It would be fab to see you if you're over here next year, I'd love to show you around! 😍
Go to www.CompassionateClearing.com to sign up.
Signed up! 💕
New writing style - yes, I'm actually considering it, after 30 years mostly giving useful information in my newsletters! Not sure how to do and still get a message about transformation across to others, but will think about it. My October news was about moving into the liminal spaces to visit with ancestors, and I did tell a brief story about requesting help from my ancestor medical team (my father and his 3 brothers, all deceased MDs) in getting a much-needed appointment I was being denied, and having what I needed in about 12 hours.
You'll find a way. Once you start thinking about it, it will just fall into place. Your October newsletter sounds fab, how do I get a copy?
I am so happy for you, dear Ali! You are deeply connected to Ireland, and you deserve to be a bonafide citizen. Although I am an American citizen, I adore Ireland and the time I spend there. Your writing over the years has deepened my experience with the land, and I will be forever grateful. I have done a fair amount of studying Ireland's history and customs and myths. I find that you know far more about Ireland than the average Irish citizen. You love the land and have every right to claim her as your own. Woohoo!
I so appreciate the way you are willing to make yourself vulnerable in your poignant writing for your readers to see and identify with. I'm thinking that perhaps I should do more of that in my monthly newsletter.
Stop it! You'll have me bawling! 😭😅 You may be American but you are Irish at heart, Robin. 💚 I admit I was a bit anxious about writing this one, it seemed too personal and perhaps indulgent, but I seem to have hit a nerve. I really enjoyed your newsletter about your last visit to Ireland. The way I see it, it's your newsletter, people who read it want to know about you. You can absolutely try out any writing styles you like to see what people respond to most, and have fun doing it. 😘
Congratulations Ali! Your beautiful post is so heartfelt and moving, plus I love your references to Braiding Sweetgrass. As a French national married to an Irish man, bringing up 4 bi-national children and feeling at home in Ireland (been here 13 years), I really resonate with your idea of being naturalised, like the humble and potent plantain. Thank you for your words and reflections on identity and belonging - I see myself in them.
Thank you Annette, that is so good to know! Braiding Sweetgrass was a book I read for college last year, but I had to fly through it so quickly for the module, that I knew I had to come back to it. A lot has changed in the year that has passed since I last picked it up. Now, it seems to resonate so much with my personal journey, that I am astonished anew with every chapter! It seems our journeys are quite similar, and that is reassuring to know. Thank you so much for your words, and for being here. 😄
Aw, Ali. Congratulations! I was very moved by your post. My take-away: the land called you. End of story. You belong to the land. xx
Whitney, you have such a clear way of seeing into the heart of the matter, and actually, into my heart! Thank you 😘😘😘
Hi Ali - as someone who has moved from Ireland to Canada (40 years and citizenship after 18 years there) and now back again to Ireland, I’m familiar with that insider/outsider feeling. But there’s real strength in it. You see things that insider/insiders don’t and can appreciate the strangeness, beauty and wonder of Ireland, even as you feel the frustrations of its overly-bureaucratic processes and lack of care for many people. You are making a difference for all of us here, and in the end, that’s the best any of us can hope to do. Naturalised plants are those that fit comfortably in their new surrounding and add to rather than take from biodiversity.
Hi Finola! Honestly, you think you know someone... I had no idea you had lived in Canada, let alone for so long, or got your citizenship. I am surprised, reading these comments, how many people feel caught between two nationalities, it's obviously a kind of trauma which we don't really talk about. It definitely seems to be a conversation worth having, though. Do you feel, now, that you are back where you belong, or has a life in Canada had some impact on that. I always think of you as deeply embedded in the land of Ireland, through your archaeology and your plant knowledge.
Honestly, I feel nothing but privileged to have lived in both places. I felt totally accepted and at home in Canada but I never felt entirely Canadian - I think actually that’s a common thing in Canada, which is a land of immigrants. Now that I’m back I am grateful for the perspective my long absence has given me, as well as the perspective of growing up here.
Hi Ali. What's the 'Stack? I'm sure I should know but..
I'm pretty good. The odd little creak and groan. Still embedded in sooty London life, still writing, still wondering where Great English Novel is hiding. I guess you're all wrapped up in rugby. I really hope they do it, given England don't deserve to still be there how they are playing.
Substack, as a writing platform. I am doing my best to not notice the rugby but it's practically 24hr in this house, even when it's off season. Ireland are playing New Zealand in the quarter final this Saturday, I think, so they could go out then. We shall see... I will be watching on Saturday, of course! 😄🏉
Congratulations Ali. That's one happy Irish woman. You can officially let you roots down and knit into the landscape!
Geoffle!!! How amazing to see you here... are you considering moving to the 'Stack? I am an unfinished scarf with loose stitches and a few dropped threads slowly winding myself into Irish culture, I think! 🤣🧣🍀 As for landscapes, you are firmly embedded in your idyllic garden, doing so much for nature in the city... how are you?
Gorgeous writing here, and strangely relatable for me as an Irish expat in England. Congrats on your citizenship and keep up the amazing work!
Ah... Ross! How lovely to receive your comment, and thank you so much for your kindness. Yes, our experiences are in reverse... Irish people are very adventurous in moving out into the world and mixing with different cultures. I once met 3 Peruvian lads in Cusco back in 1999 long before I had ever been to Ireland or formed any connection with it, who claimed to be of Irish descent, they had opened an Irish bar, the only Irish thing about it was the Guinness in cans! But they longed for Ireland even though they had never been. I wonder if Irish people who make their lives elsewhere feel rootless, a permenant sense of homesickness, maybe, or that their connection to Ireland as home and their place of belonging firmly anchors them?
Congratulations on obtaining your Irish citizenship, Ali. Through your article here I read a lot of perception. Through my life two things I’ve never allowed space for within me, Nationalism and Religion. I’ve no idea how I was taught this, though on my father’s side nobody seemed to have time for either. Mother’s side a lot different, and got annoyed at my attitude, yet most of them were very kind people.
Look at other species of animals, birds, insects, plants etc., and neither Nationalism or Religion are part of their lives and not concepts they understand, yet they can be tribal and territorial. Tribal and territorial is move flowing than the fixed Nationalism and Religion.
Another thing I do not have time for are Nationalists and Religious people who grab folklore and enforce ‘compliance’ to it, when what they are really trying to do is use folklore as a strange verification for their identity with their Nationalism and Religion.
I suppose I may do something similar when I use folklore as a verification of the flow of life through what we call nature, how the water flows, weather changes, seasonal changes and following through the cycles of plants, trees and how we adapt. To me, that is connection and you can be anywhere to feel that, feel at one, and not feel you have stepped out of a Nation or Religion, that I have always believed are ‘fake’ identities.
Both Nationalism and Religion also support the ‘fake’ patriarchal agenda of existence of male superiority and female subversiveness that no body is born with, but are cultured into from the moment of birth. Look at all of the current wars and uprisings, and Political swings. It all seems to be about re-enforcing male superiority and female subversiveness rather than balance.
I think you are doing ok Ali. You seem to recognise where real connection is, if only you could let go of maybe guilt of not carrying strong Nationalism or Religion. Who needs either? Like a former alcoholic who no longer needs a drink, though others are trying to lure the person back to the pub, or be alienated.
Alientation upon us seem to be strongest from people who have tried to disconnect from nature and life. Trust your flow. It’s there :-)
Thanks, John. Your kind and thoughtful words have really moved me... I don't know why but I am so watery lately! 😭 I agree with you totally about nationalism and religion. Re the tribal nature of animals, I have seen a lot of video clips in recent months of inter-species friendships, and mother animals adopting infants from other species (damn Insta for keeping me glued to my screen! 😄) and I think of the wild willow blending its genes and hybridising itself so easily, and if nature can be so accepting, why can't humans?
Beautiful piece Ali. Deep congratulations... and welcome home!
Thank you so much Aingeal Rose and Ahonu... "welcome home"... simple words that mean so much! 🙏🍀💚