More of 'Somewhere Else'.

I can't stop thinking about this notion of EXILE. And for so many years I have been bothered about the sense of origin for myself and others. Now I find that almost each person I meet has a history of coming from 'somewhere else'. When I think of the Global shrinkage through our world communication and opportunities for travel all I see is what we have in common. We are not so different after all despite the personal histories we may have lost or left behind. Many of us have become used to 'living on the edge of things'. Yet our sense of National belonging is always in question. We question ourselves, the political parties we choose ignore or place strong emphasis of our country on the world stage. Wars are played out using our support.
Dallas J. Baker, Adjunct Fellow at Southern Cross University and writer for the '.conversation' recently gave us a quick overview of Australian History and this kept me thinking:
Ist Century after colonisation, Australia was seen to exist on the periphery of the British Empire.
World WarII to 1990 saw Australia positioned on the outer limits of USA's sphere of influence.
The year 2000 found Australia existing on the edge of ASIA, not yet a part of ASIA but existing apart from Asia.
In all these years the Indigenous Australians also experienced their sense of EXILE through dispossession of lands and kindred.
And so I am forced to remember Tolstoy's opening line in Anna Karenina, 'All happy families resemble one another but each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.'
AND, Susie Gibson, lecturer in English Literature at Charles Sturt University, 'Good writing is often created out of struggle, doubt and feelings of ineptitude'.
BUT, 'If you are going to write you'd better come from somewhere.' Flannery O'Connor.
The message is taken and my published books are worthy examples of this.