Belonging
I always find Jack's flashbacks interesting. This week we see that he was told by Achara that she perceives him to be "a leader and a great man" whose greatness causes him to be a "lonely and angry" person. She marks him with a tatto that (on the show) is translated to read, "He walks amongst us, but he's not one of us." Jack says, "That's what they say. That's not what they mean."
So what do they really mean? What is the implication about Jack that is being communicated by the seer's reading of him? Clearly, something about Jack keeps him from belonging. What are your roadblocks to belonging? Have you ever felt like a "stranger in a strange land" no matter where you go?
14 Comments:
first!!!!!!!
yeah, too often. haha.
I so get that!
If I got a tattoo it would probably be my way of defying all the ways past events and people have "marked" me in ways I didn't want. And this is connected to the last thread too with what Amused2BHere said about grieving. It's only been three years January since my dad died. I'm still caught up in grieving his loss, but I'm also grieving the ways he "marked" me, life and soul. I keep having to be reminded that it's appropriate to grieve those hurts too.
I have always felt different like an outsider too. My parents are deaf. I grew up in two cultures--Deaf World and hearing world--and learned how to adapt to both without fitting into either well. I was both adult and child in one body, interpreter for my parents and inexperienced guide in the hearing world. The world bewildered me and I was frequently hurt by those around me. I don't have tattoos so the only visual you could see to make me stand out from everyone else is when I use my hands to sign.
I've been wondering if the feeling of being an outsider/different from others is universal to us? I can't imagine my life without feeling that way. Some, like Betty, may feel it more than others. Having to straddle two cultures definitely can increase those feelings and heartache.
So I'm sincerely asking - Does anyone feel they have always belonged, always been included, or like they weren't different?
Twinkle, I think it is human nature to experience loneliness. It drives us to seek out companionship, yet we are prevented from true oneness with others because we are encased in a house of flesh. I believe God created us to need Him, and each other. We need each other (even if we don't want to admit it.)
Remember in Eden, when Adam was created God said it is not good for the man to be alone.
Yet that is what we are. Each of us lives a singular life. How many times in scifi have we seen a telepathic entity enter a human and remark how utterly "alone" we all are?
That's why we feel good when we "belong". We all want a place "where everybody knows your name". I feel a special affinity for those who have lost their parents, for example. Or those who are grieving in general. Loss is loss, and all loss must be grieved (adjusted to) to one degree or another. (Btw, three years is not a lot of time to grieve. Keep going, honey. You'll get there. Remember, you never get over it, you just get used to it.)
I hope Chucklez move goes ok. {prayers and hugs!}
So we should not be surprised when we feel different or alone. It could be a signal that we were made for something we aren't getting naturally.
Thanks for your encouragement, Amused. I know three years isn't long. I just feel so wrapped up right now in grieving the way our relationship should have been and wasn't. Maybe I haven't even gotten to the grief from his death yet? Trying to put myself in Chucklez' place, he just found out about his mom's death but he may have a whole lot more grief related to their past together too and that's valid.
well, i'm here in jersey and settled in. freakin lot of snow falling now. my first day is tomorrow and not sure how well i'll get to work, if at all. just another thorn in my freakin side. ugh. but at least my girlfriend is back. now, hopefully THAT part of my life will finally fall back in place where it belongs. hahaha............eh......
well, again, thanks for all the support peeps.
talk to you all when i have more time.
-----chucklez (dan)
Have a great and safe day at work today! Glad the move went well.
Thanks for the analysis of belonging versus alone, Kvonhard. Good points. Sure is quiet around here without Dark Angel. Hope everything works out!
Ooops! I guess by now it's "Hope you had a good work day." I was having trouble logging in.
Chucklez, glad your move went A-OK, you have a lot to be thankful for. Well, think on the bright side, on snow days there are many hour-to-few-hour delays for companies and other openings. Sometimes, if it's very bad, everything just shuts down!
Good comments by everyone about belonging, being alone, etc. I also have never felt like I fit in anywhere. For one thing, I was always too goody-goody to fit in with the tough/hip crowd, and too weird to fit in with the straight crowd. I finally got used to it but it took a long time. I like what you said too Kvonhard about being alone when not alone. That's one of the things I learned about judging any relationship that I'm in.....if I feel more alone IN the relationshiop than I did without it, then I need to fix it or get out of that relationship.
I also think that there is a big difference between being alone and loneliness. I can be alone for very long periods of time, and never feel lonely (maybe because I always feel that God is with me everywhere?). I guess I just got used to mostly being on the outside of every clique in the world...old age can do that. :o) I sort of turned into the way Rose is on the island before she found Bernard....just being on my own doing the things that I need to do to get by and live, trying not to sweat the small stuff, MMOB, and keeping the faith. At least that's what I work towards anyway.
It's very true about how in sci-fi stories writers have written about how lonely humans are. I love the comments in the Star Trek ep where the creature in the box inhabits Spock's body and talks about how all alone humans' lives are. Good points on that in the movie Contact as well.
still don't know what to do about lostnuts. she still "doesn't know" what she wants.
whatever.
i'm done with all this. ugh. my number and email are on the lost community blog.
gotta' go for now.
later.
p.s. life sux.
Dude, chucklez. Times are tough for you right now. Hope you get connected in your new area.
Guys,
Apologies for being MIA. My heart resonates with the "belonging" dialogues. I have very vivid memories of literally being outside the circle of cool kids trying to figure out what they were talking about. In some ways that feeling has translated into my adult life...its certainly unsettling when I notice it.
Chucklez, dude...we are all here for you right now. Praying for you consistently. I told some of my friends about your situation and they have prayed for you too.
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