Prodigal Returns
Morning slides in early and easy here. We have crossed more visible and invisible borders, arriving at last in the ancestral lands of Bavaria. The language and culture nudge echoes of childhood memories. Like holding my breath under water, I wait for the air of understanding.
By day, we learn, feel and fumble. This Is another country, in geography and people. I, who have tirelessly advocated for a border-less world, find in crossing invisible borders, that I am In another world. Which in turn is a country within a country. Bavaria within Germany... the division still stands. Unexpected, but oddly understandable. History makes a muddle of geography. Shoving countries together, tearing them apart, or creating new. In the end, it's not about geographical borders, they actually mean nothing, it's about people.
So, do I continue to decline borders? Yes. Seems to me, the more "security" we add, the more fear we create, the worse things get. Let's consider Migration vs Immigration. Take the time machine back a few years. Pre-911 even.
For several hundreds of years, people have migrated this planet. Moving from country to country, following their hearts in a variety of instances. And, oddly it worked. Why? Because humanity as a whole has a tendency to -move. For better or, worse. America is a classic example. A country created by movement. Both physically and mentally. And, it succeeded. Movement creates new ideas, perspectives and exchanges.
So, let's momentarily forget the politicians cry for closed borders. How does one truly, close borders. by "securing" the population? Keeping people in or, out? Are we secure when we no longer have freedom of movement? Does it actually stop the "bad guys".... Do we feel safer- or just more afraid... Afraid of the "unknown" over the Border....
Now, we have "immigration". Designed to stop people from migrating like caribou. Designed to protect our individual resources. To protect us from- whatever....And, what would happen to the caribou, if they couldn't, migrate....:) Hmmmm. No more caribou....
Seems to me, in the end, it is only "protecting" us from, our own humanity....
By day, we learn, feel and fumble. This Is another country, in geography and people. I, who have tirelessly advocated for a border-less world, find in crossing invisible borders, that I am In another world. Which in turn is a country within a country. Bavaria within Germany... the division still stands. Unexpected, but oddly understandable. History makes a muddle of geography. Shoving countries together, tearing them apart, or creating new. In the end, it's not about geographical borders, they actually mean nothing, it's about people.
So, do I continue to decline borders? Yes. Seems to me, the more "security" we add, the more fear we create, the worse things get. Let's consider Migration vs Immigration. Take the time machine back a few years. Pre-911 even.
For several hundreds of years, people have migrated this planet. Moving from country to country, following their hearts in a variety of instances. And, oddly it worked. Why? Because humanity as a whole has a tendency to -move. For better or, worse. America is a classic example. A country created by movement. Both physically and mentally. And, it succeeded. Movement creates new ideas, perspectives and exchanges.
So, let's momentarily forget the politicians cry for closed borders. How does one truly, close borders. by "securing" the population? Keeping people in or, out? Are we secure when we no longer have freedom of movement? Does it actually stop the "bad guys".... Do we feel safer- or just more afraid... Afraid of the "unknown" over the Border....
Now, we have "immigration". Designed to stop people from migrating like caribou. Designed to protect our individual resources. To protect us from- whatever....And, what would happen to the caribou, if they couldn't, migrate....:) Hmmmm. No more caribou....
Seems to me, in the end, it is only "protecting" us from, our own humanity....
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