• 4 years ago
• Posted in:Uncategorized
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• Author: gabrielle rienhart

Read at least 6 students blog short stories about ‘home’ and make a list of the common shared assumptions, values and stories that you find. Post this list on your blog with some commentary about what you discovered.

What is home?

For some people home includes physical aspects, revolving around a general location, house, and physical landscape. These physical aspects can also relate to sound, smell, taste, touch, sights, or objects. In Georgia’s first sentence describing home she says, “Home, is the sound of waves lapping against a pebbled shore as you lie under the protection of an elder pine, who is allowing you to rest beneath his branches and soak up dappled spots of sunlight.” (Masaki, 2020) Whether these physical aspects are the sound of waves, a specific type of tree, beautiful sunsets at a beach town, or the carpet at our house, we get used to these things and begin to appreciate them. Physical aspects can be very beautiful or comforting. They interact with the heart and mind of the viewer by bringing feelings of joy, comfort or familiarity; and by triggering memories that bring nostalgia. “By leaving my first home, I gained a new appreciation for what has been my home. I learned to miss the silhouette of palm trees along the freeways at night, watching like quiet guardians.” (Dafesh, 2020) The idea of home, oftentimes makes physical aspects that may seem little to some people, aspects that become large and significant to our lives. They become things we grow fond of, further solidifying the connection we feel to a place. These little fondnesses also reveal how much we love and care about home.

For others, home centers around a family unit and spending time with family members, whether in pleasant or unpleasant moments. According to Nargiza, it doesn’t matter whether these moments may seem little or mundane, “It’s during these times together, when we sit for meals, go out to the grocery store, doing ordinary boring things, that we have the most fun. When we try to give each other advice before making fun of each other. Between arguing about which rice brand is the best at costoc or which sashimi to order, it’s the mundane and relaxing times when we’re all together that I value the most.” (Ailmova, 2020) This feeling of home revolves around a sense of familiarity, loyalty, and trust. Furthermore, a sense of appreciation for each other’s qualities, even the annoying ones. For Sashini, “Home is my 3 brothers, as annoying as they are, spending time with them, or fighting over the best snacks in the house.  Home is my father, cracking his jokes at the dinner table, the kind you roll your eyes at, but deep down know that you love” (Weeradundara, 2020). Sashini also goes on to talk about home as a place where she is able to be her true self. This channels into home as something mental, a comfortable and relaxed space where we feel comfortable letting loose and being ourselves… a place where we can trust that our loved ones won’t ditch us for showing our true selves. Home is often associated with a sense of safety, although this may not be true for everyone.

For many, home centers around loved ones in general, whether friends or family. Loved ones, provide a sense of safety, security, and supportedness. “What does make me feel firmly attached to some places more than the others? I’m sure it’s people. People made those places meaningful to me, deepest inside me, and so desirable to be in” (Kutlimetova, 2020). The people we love, give things meaning. They elicit many of the emotions and sensations within us, connecting us with things by making us feel. Furthermore, our loved ones have been with us throughout history, a history that is instilled by our memories intertwined with emotions.

[Sidenote: Why might this be so impactful?

Not only do our histories influence us deeply, but they are also one of the strongest things we have to hold onto. As moments slip away, as we move towards the future, it could be one of the things that keep us so strong in difficult moments of the present–what helps us deal with the world–are these idealized memories, and so many of them are filled with people we love. People we love make things more worthwhile. Also, they make hard times more manageable by reminding us we can experience bliss, and we can feel happiness again by spending time with our loved ones again. No matter how far we are, we can always return. This idea conveys with it a feeling of security. Furthermore, strong relationships with our loved ones can make us feel like we are experiencing the world together rather than alone… In this way, difficulties becomes more manageable, and life becomes more enjoyable.]

People look at home differently, but a lot of these different associations with home–whether based on physical location, family, friends, or loved ones–are intertwined and build on each other. For example, for many, home is not just a physical location, but a physical location that we love because it is associated with memories with loved ones. Usually, home is a combination of many different aspects whether physical, mental, or emotional. And these aspects make home a place that provides us with some sort of fulfillment… or the other way around, the place that provides us with fulfillment is what makes a place home.

Alimova, Nargiza. “Assignment 2.2.” Engl 372 Oh Canada, 3 Feb. 2020, blogs.ubc.ca/nargizaalimova/.

Dafesh, Sophie. “Assignment 2.2, No Place Like Home.” Adventures In CanLit, 4 Feb. 2020, blogs.ubc.ca/sophiedafesh/.

Isita, Indra. “Assignment 2.2 – What Home Means to Me.” Indras English 372 Blog, 3 Feb. 2020, blogs.ubc.ca/engl372indrai/.

Kosh, Jacob. “Home Is The Place I Am.” Jacob Kosh’s Blog, 3 Feb. 2020, blogs.ubc.ca/jacobkosh/?fbclid=IwAR035HXHHtRfac0BABBXQWfncQqCiMp_7Nm_qZWnEbX0M8cnr2f98EmioZ0.

Kutlimetova, Zhanna. “Assignment 2:2. Home… Where Is It or What Is It?” Joanne Zhanna Kutlimetovas Blog, 2 Feb. 2020, blogs.ubc.ca/zhannakutlimetovaengl372/.

Masaki, Georgia. “Assignment 2.1: Home.” Oh Canada, 27 Jan. 2000, blogs.ubc.ca/georgiamasaki/2020/01/27/assignment-2-1-home/.

Weerasundara, Sashini. “ASSIGNMENT 2:2 HOME, OH MY WONDERFUL HOME.” Eng 372 Canadian Literature, 28 Jan. 2020, blogs.ubc.ca/sashini/.