Wanderings
&
Wonderings
Sharing Stories
This is my way of sharing personal herstories and histories with future generations and honour those who have gone before us, laying the foundations for the lives we are privileged to live today.
A window into a totally different world for those , who have [luckily] had little contact with the aftermath of war, be it in the present or in the more distant past. A more realistic window than those of the war movies, always made by the victors , like history written by the vanquishers, which never quite shows that no matter what side you happen to be on , the effects on the normal people caught up in the wars of politicians are equally brutal and devastating everywhere. Especially if you are unlucky enough to be caught on the wrong side of history. No side is all good or all evil. Generalisations disappear like puffs of smoke once you start looking at the lives of individuals caught up in the maelstrom of the egos of politicians.
We, this people, on this small and drifting planet
Whose hands can strike with such abandon
That in a twinkling, life is sapped from the living
Yet those same hands can touch with such healing, irresistible tenderness
That the haughty neck is happy to bow
And the proud back is glad to bend
Out of such chaos, of such contradiction
We learn that we are neither devils nor divines.
from “A Brave and Startling Truth” by Maya Angelou
WANDERINGS
Wanderings…journeys where you go from place to place without staying anywhere long and then sometimes, you stay…as you find your Heimat.
Past and present , voluntary and involuntary, chosen and forced, transient or permanent , pure holidays as a result of Fernweh or Wanderlust or for pure survival – these are the stories I wish to share with you.
Wanderlust is a lust for wandering. The word comes from German, in which wandern means “to hike or roam about,” and Lust means “pleasure or delight.”
Fernweh is a German word for “farsickness,” the opposite of homesickness (Heimweh). An ache for distant places, a craving to travel, a longing for unseen places.
Heimweh is a German word for homesickness. A longing to be home or a longing for a Heimat.
Heimat is a German word which is a feeling more than a place and translates to home or home country.
Today, „Heimat“ is considered a subjective emotion, not necessarily related to political or legal definitions. It is made up of the individual mindset one has about a certain place, society or just the individual’s development. Losing one’s „Heimat“ or even just the fear of that occurring, presents as „Heimweh“. To those who lost or left their „Heimat“, the term can become synonymous with „home country“. It is possible to choose one’s own „Heimat“ from a selection of places.
Am I in the right place?
Can I have more than one Heimat ?
WONDERINGS
Wonderings ….a feeling of excitement by something strange, a mixture of surprise, curiosity, and sometimes awe. Something that causes such a feeling, such as a miracle.
Wonderlust is when you can’t get enough of this world and hope to see something new every day which you have never seen before. In simple words, it is a beautiful disease which has no cure.
For me, WONDERINGS and WANDERINGS are two sides of the same coin….the one is the physical movement between places and the other is a movement of the mind between different places . Somehow the emotions and feelings experienced are very similar. You can move to different realms and experiences just by opening your mind to different worlds of thoughts and ideas.
For me WanderLust and WonderLust are also intrinsically linked , always looking for the passion and excitement of wonder, be it in different geographical places or be it in the world of ideas, thoughts and world views expressed by a multitude of people.
As I am sharing the experiences of my and others WANDERINGS, I wish to share my experiences of my WONDERINGS too and hopefully also delight you with a window into other worlds of thoughts and wisdoms. Some may challenge , some may touch a special nerve and who knows, some may fill you with awe and wonder and speak to your soul. Some may even guide you further on your life’s journey.
Ring the bells that still can ring.
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack in everything.
That’s how the light gets in.
Leonard Cohen Anthem 1992