FAMILIA (5/23/07)
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It is always so fascinating how relatives react when they first see you. In my case I was visiting my mother and sisters after 20 years and some of my cousins had not seen me for years long then that.
I had come from the United States with some shared moments together with some of my relatives in Nairobi, Kenya and briefly with some in other parts of the world including Europe. Some of us have this idea of a person when we have not met her or him and after we see that person reality sinks in. Many had seen me as a young man and now I was grown up, weathered, gone through the fire and ready to share my experiences. My mother and sisters are very respectful and so I had to tone down my attitude of speaking up and debating any idea or comment that I did not agree with. I made an effort to listen and often did not say anything. It pays off as many of my relatives wanted my opinion in private. It was great to hear the accents, the expressions, the ideas, and how the English language continues to dominate the world as far as critical communication is concerned. The Aussies love to imitate the United States and in many cases for all the wrong reasons. This is all the more evidenced when one watches the local TV. Anyway, I was here to meet loved ones and share my moments of truth and take away memories. I was enjoying every moment of it. In the interim I did share one article with a flickr link and this brought many e-mails from my relatives all over the world. They were having fun seeing the photographs and me adding new ones practically every day. What a way to communicate: |
