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Published On: Apr 26, 2006 10:02 PM
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Published On: Apr 26, 2006 10:02 PM
The Household of the Homeless
To many, the basic unit of Heathenry is the
household. This is a difference from modern society which calls the individual
the basic unit. As Asatru we are about community, and the basis of community is
the household-based family. It is the source of one's strength, whether is is
shared with a spouse and 6 children, parents and siblings, or no one else at
all.
The High One tells us:
A farm of your own is better, even if small,
everyone's someone at home;
(Havamal verses 36 and 37; Larrington translation)
Which brings me to me. This isn't all about me, hence its presence in this folder, as opposed to "It's All About Me." I'm just the best example I can think of.
I have no home; no household. I travel all the time. I'm not homeless in the sense of destitute; just not tied down to any specific location. There is no house to which I return. There is a Days Inn, but I doubt seriously they'd approve of me calling that my house.
Nor do I belong to my parent's household. That would require staying at that location more than once every couple of years. As close as I am to my fellow KOSH members, many of whom are non-blood family to me, I am not a member of their households. I visit, but I do not remain. It is not their responsibility to provide for me, nor me for them.
A bit of faulted logic for you:
If everyone's someone at home,
And I have no home,
Then I am not someone
Therefore, I am no one.
Not true, of course. The High One did not say "Everyone is only someone at home, and nowhere else." However, having a home gives you a grounding point, somewhere that is uniquely the property of you and yours. "A man's home is his castle." I don't have that. On those occasions that I have had apartments over the 5+ years that I have been traveling, the rent was paid by my employer, not by me.
A household is more than just land and a house. I'm not sure I know what it is, but I know it's more than that. A home and household is not something that can be just given to you. It is something that has to be made, and my lifestyle doesn't allow for that.
On the other hand, "Home is where the heart is." If that's true, then I haven't had a home in a longer time than I thought. Except in the physically literal sense, which I believe goes beyond the point of the saying.
One final aphorism: "A rolling stone gathers no moss." I never thought that moss was appealing, really. But now, as fun and as interesting as my life is, I'm wondering if I should, to switch metaphoric horses in mid-stream, put down some roots.
I don't believe that one's worth is judged by their property and possessions. But those of us who are voluntarily landless face a quandary: What is home, and without it, do we still have worth to the heathen community?
(This is another one of those entries where I feel like I'm stumbling around the issue in the dark wearing really thick gloves. It's there, but I just can't seem to wrap myself around it. Sorry it's not up to my usual standards.)
The High One tells us:
A farm of your own is better, even if small,
everyone's someone at home;
(Havamal verses 36 and 37; Larrington translation)
Which brings me to me. This isn't all about me, hence its presence in this folder, as opposed to "It's All About Me." I'm just the best example I can think of.
I have no home; no household. I travel all the time. I'm not homeless in the sense of destitute; just not tied down to any specific location. There is no house to which I return. There is a Days Inn, but I doubt seriously they'd approve of me calling that my house.
Nor do I belong to my parent's household. That would require staying at that location more than once every couple of years. As close as I am to my fellow KOSH members, many of whom are non-blood family to me, I am not a member of their households. I visit, but I do not remain. It is not their responsibility to provide for me, nor me for them.
A bit of faulted logic for you:
If everyone's someone at home,
And I have no home,
Then I am not someone
Therefore, I am no one.
Not true, of course. The High One did not say "Everyone is only someone at home, and nowhere else." However, having a home gives you a grounding point, somewhere that is uniquely the property of you and yours. "A man's home is his castle." I don't have that. On those occasions that I have had apartments over the 5+ years that I have been traveling, the rent was paid by my employer, not by me.
A household is more than just land and a house. I'm not sure I know what it is, but I know it's more than that. A home and household is not something that can be just given to you. It is something that has to be made, and my lifestyle doesn't allow for that.
On the other hand, "Home is where the heart is." If that's true, then I haven't had a home in a longer time than I thought. Except in the physically literal sense, which I believe goes beyond the point of the saying.
One final aphorism: "A rolling stone gathers no moss." I never thought that moss was appealing, really. But now, as fun and as interesting as my life is, I'm wondering if I should, to switch metaphoric horses in mid-stream, put down some roots.
I don't believe that one's worth is judged by their property and possessions. But those of us who are voluntarily landless face a quandary: What is home, and without it, do we still have worth to the heathen community?
(This is another one of those entries where I feel like I'm stumbling around the issue in the dark wearing really thick gloves. It's there, but I just can't seem to wrap myself around it. Sorry it's not up to my usual standards.)
Posted: Mon - March 22, 2004 at 03:46 PM