Identity Crisis – Solved!
I am a third generation American of German and Irish decent with a little Italian squeezed in there somewhere. One could say I cook like an Italian and drink like a German, but as being a defining part of my heritage – that’s a real stretch. The only definite identifying characteristic is that I am blessed with an unmistakably Irish surname – Farrell. Growing up as a cultural “mutt” in Southern California, I never truly identified with anything. Part of me was arguably jealous of the “Orgullosamente Mexicano!” population who knew where they came from and actually felt it. Since my extended family passed on before I had a chance the now pressing questions, I don’t know if we have ever had any family traditions to speak of, inherited from the old country four generations ago. Looking at myself in the mirror, I have always felt I could be anything really, except obviously of Asian, Mexican, or African descent.
But since I’ve started traveling, though I am occasionally mistaken for a native (like the wheelchair-bound old man in Trieste who overwhelmed me with so much Italian in so little time, I almost felt inclined to tell him I couldn’t understand a word so he wouldn’t waste his oxygen), I may now proclaim that I am predominantly approached by Germans speaking German and locals speaking German as if I were a tourist. I look German! I am partly German! It’s a miracle! I never knew I looked like anything until now. At least I finally know where I fit, based on the German’s (and foreigners) assessment of what a German should look like.
Tags: Cristi Farrell, Miscellaneous, Tag Index
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