2.1.2 bridging the gap.
Home is something that’s been written about in music, books, and is arguably a quintessential part of life. But what is it exactly? To take a page from Jenny’s blog, I’ll try to illustrate some similar concepts in our blogs through the magic of song lyrics (being a music major and all. just kidding, I barely listen to music. ironic, right?)
1. “There is a place built out of stone…This is a place where I don’t feel alone/ This is a place where I feel at home” x
For almost everybody, the idea of home begins, or is rooted in a place. For Krystle, it’s in East Vancouver where she would return from her travels. For Courtney, it’s the Sunshine Coast where she spent time lying on the dock. Personally, my home never felt too stationary. I moved a lot growing up (though not as much as others), and after the first two times, I feel as though my idea of “home” is transient. I call a lot of things home– my current apartment (which changes every 4-8 months), my parent’s house, my partner’s apartment…the list goes on. But there are only so many places that I actually feel at home.
2. “Home is wherever I’m with you” x
Even though all of our ideas about home start in a place, they are guaranteed to take a turn. It varies for all of us. Home might be a place of memory (again–idea of place. strange. words are flowing, I’m not going to change it.) For Bobby, he identifies multiple homes, and so he’s created the space in his heart and mind for the memory of each home. Oftentimes, it’s about the people. As Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes put it, “home is wherever I’m with you”. It doesn’t really matter where the place is, or what’s happening. It’s about the people you’re with, whether it be family, friends, or significant others.
3. “I’m gonna make this place your home” x
Another common sentiment people expressed was that their idea of home was constantly changing. It might start with a place, but it inevitably changes. As we go through life, we become attached to different ‘homes’ in our life. For Rachel, home is transitory, especially living in a dorm room. But going “home” to Korea isn’t quite the same either. She’s made “this place” (Vancouver) her home because of her friends. (Forgive me if I’m grossly reading into your blog post, Rachel).
4. “I’m coming back home” x
A final commonality within a few posts I read was that home is a place of return. It’s a place you keep going back to, whether it’s at the end of a day or once a year. It might be a physical place we return to, or the company we keep, or even memories we reminisce of. But no matter what it is, it’s a place we return to for comfort and a sense of belonging. It’s our home.
As a fun aside, I was taking a break and watching Celebrities Read Mean Tweets: NBA Edition, and I saw this as a related video! Strange coincidence, no? It’d be interesting to look into how we view home, our reflective usage of the word ‘home’, and how media portrays ‘home’ as well.
Works Cited
Bublé, Michael. “‘Home’- Live at Madison Square Garden.” Video. Youtube.com Youtube, 2011. 15 June 2014.
Cinematic Orchestra. “To Build a Home.” Video. Youtube.com Youtube, 2007. 15 June 2014.
Coughlin, Krystle. “Finding my home, with jet-lag or a video game.” Engl 470 Blog. UBC Blogs. 15 June 2014.
Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes. “Home.” Video. Youtube.com Youtube, 2009. 15 June 2014.
Goldsmith, Bobby. “2.1 Home(s).” English 470 Blog. UBC Blogs. 15 June 2014.
Ho, Jenny. “Lesson 2.1, Part 2- Finding Common Ground.” Jenny Ho. UBC Blogs. 15 June 2014.
Kim, Rachel. “2:1 Almost Home.” Ca. Na. Di. An. (Noun)?. UBC Blogs. 15 June 2014.
Kimmel, Jimmy. “Celebrities Read Mean Tweets: NBA Edition #2.” Video. Youtube.com Youtube, 2014. 15 June 2014.
Kimmel, Jimmy. “Robert Pattison on Having No Home.” Video. Youtube.com Youtube, 2014. 15 June 2014.
Phillips, Phillip. “Home.” Video. Youtube.com Youtube, 2012.15 June 2014.
Smith, Courtney. “Unit 2. 2:1.” Arriving. UBC Blogs. 15 June 2014.
Hi Fidelia,
First of all, I really like the organization of your and Jenny’s posts through songs. (: It makes for a fascinating look at how people relate to the idea of “home” and how important it is to us.
No worries about reading into my story–after all, authorial intent doesn’t override a reader’s experience! I will say I never intended to pick a place to call home when I started writing it and in fact started it with a sense of homelessness in mind. I do see that the story ended up skewing in favour of Vancouver as a home. Ah, if only a “full version” wouldn’t have run ridiculously over the limit.
“But no matter what it is, it’s a place we return to for comfort and a sense of belonging.” Very true! I found the same theme in the blogs I’ve read. Though I wonder if “home” could be a place to run away from. Could someone consider “home” as a less than positive sense? Hmm…
Hello!
To answer your question, I guess that it depends on your definition of home. For me, home is an inherently positive thing, so if you’re thinking of a place (that you call home) in a negative sense, it’s not a true home. For me, home is a place of comfort and welcome, so if you’re “running away from home”, you’re simply running away from a place towards your true home.
Does that make sense?
I hope it does.
Thank you Fidelia, a thoughtful reflection on our stories of home. I am working on a blog post that tries to capture the heart of the nature of the common ground ‘we stand on, and to reflect upon our differences; your post is most appreciated for your elegant expression of both. thank you.