I wrote that in Scottish gaelic, not a language I know very well, but one I am interested in. I'm from the USA, but a large chunk of me is Scottish, you see. My mother's maiden name was Gordon, and my grandmother on my father's side had the last name Duncan. My grandmother's mother was named Margaret Duncan (a scottish name if ever I heard one) and came from Scotland, and in her later years she would sing "roaming in the gloaming" at the nursing home nonstop. I could say more about my family lineage, about how I had a grandfather somewhere along the lines that wore a kilt and protected someone royal, but I don't want to bore you too much, I just want to make you understand that I am Scottish.
(Its also important that you know I'm not a full blood Scot. I'm also German, Czec, Cherokee, Croatian, and 100% American.)
I'm saying all of this so that you know where my connection is with the country, and also so that you know how distant I also am with it. Understanding is key to everything, you know? And so, I am also going to tell you that I'm a teenage girl who is obsessed with cultures, but sometimes, saddly, I look around and feel like I am lost in America. Sometimes, I wonder about where I come from and the culture that it seems like I left behind. Don't get me wrong, I love my country, and I don't want to leave it, but everyone needs that sort of connection in their life. THe connection that tells you exactly who you are and where you come from. So, this blog is going to be about that, connecting with who I am.
I already admitted that I am not 100% Scottish, so why would I pick Scotland, and my Scottish heritage? Well there is alot of reasons actually. Although I have a cherokee forehead, and Czec and Croatian blood, for reasons dealing with adoptions and negligent parents, those have been lost on me. My Czec and Croatian blood is very little anyway. My cherokee blood, though in me, is not registered, and I wouldn't want to offend people. Cherokee information is hard to come by and hard to understand, and I'm not registered, so I don't think I would ever be able to be a full part of it. As for the German part, its not in english, and I already know alot about it. I also don't exactly want to think about nazis. My family was in the usa by the world wars (thank god).
I didn't pick Scotland just because of that though, I picked it because everything about it is beautiful. The stories, the songs, the land, everything! I can be proud of being Scottish. There was always that culture in my family, my grandpa's christmas music, the magnets on the refigerator, the pajamas I got for christmas, the westy dogs (there have been about four amung my relatives: Angus, Salty, Duncan, Mcduff), the last names, etc. The thing is, I never really noticed them growing up. Now I want to fully connect with them, I want to understand. So I am going to, and really, I already have. I'm through a large portion of my journey by listening to folk songs (I am now obsessed with them) reading history books, looking up stories, watching movies, and much more.
To top it off, I'm going to the highland games in NH this year! Woo Hoo, loon mountain!
Well anyway, I'm Julia, want to join me?
Innsidh na geòidh as t-fhoghar e.
- Meaning: All will be revealed in due course.
- Literal translation: The geese will tell it in autumn.
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