[radiodoll]

It's funny.

How many forms and how many replies have I made throughout my 47 years to the question, "So....what ARE you?"

There are they sarcastic answers : "Human", "Alien", "American, stupid!", "She-Ra Princess of Power".

There are the mad ones : "It's none of your business", "Better than most", "Ask my mother".

There is the defensive, polite one : "What do YOU think I am"? when you get to then smile sweetly and listen to someone else's opinion about what you LOOK like you are. (as if you are really interested and care about what they think.)

Now I say, "I'M IRISH!" at least 2 generations back on both sides of the birth family. I LOVE IT. I have ROOTS. My lineage is an actual part of history.

While I will always be an American first, and PROUD OF IT, I can now explore how my cultural humaness fits into the universe which expands and contracts.

Many Americans to whom I have spoken who are NOT adopted never even THINK about having a heritage...a lineage...a breathing history. They think it doesn't matter.

"We're a the melting pot of America,"they say. Fine, YOU try spending your life WITHOUT ONE...belittled in early school years, filing out forms, being "inspected."

Like the adage goes, "you don't know what you'ved got till it's gone."

I am still in the middle of the process of searching for my birthfamily.

But this wonderful little bit of information has opened the doors on an entirely new adventure for me to take. I am devouring reading material and arts forums.

I'm Irish. Irish Protestant, in fact, which is REALLY interesting.

I'm beginning to be more me. And I like it.


Radiodoll

[shirleyville]

I so totally get where you are coming from!! I am in the same exact place!! I recently found out that I am French, and have been on this genealogical "quest" ever since......finding out about my entire family all the way back to the 1700's! It is simply the coolest thing in the entire world!!
Enjoy!
Hugs,
Sally

[Birdiefly]

sorry to be contradicting you lady but its

An Old Irish Benediction

May God sleep on your pillow
May He hold you in the hollow of His hand
May the roads rise with you, fair weather to your heels
May the wind be ever at your back,
and may you be a long time in heaven,
before the devil knows you're gone.


God bless us all
Bernadette

[SusanD60]

I had to chuckle to myself when I read about the Irish gal. I also am Irish. In my heart at least. My a-mom was born and raised in Belfast Ireland. My b-mom? Don't know about her. I always proudly stated that I was Irish! Just like the other gal- an Orangemen. I also read up and collect anything Irish. More now than ever because my mom is gone now. She died 3 years ago. Maybe one day I will hear from my birth mom. Sure hope she is
IRISH too. LOL
Susan

[radiodoll]

Dear Susan...

We're cousins in the Orange!!! How happy that is! I am hoping for a trip there for my fiftieth birthday in two years. I am already planning!!! LOL


radiodoll

[snuffie]

I found out recently that I am Irish too. I want to break into song Tur a lura lura!! or something like that!!

Anyway, it is so wonderful to finally know "what" I am!
My adoption non- ID info had said that I was a different nationality WRONG! My records were all wrong!

I finally have my history!! All the way back to the 1700's!!

Whoo Hoo!!

[LAI-S]

Ok Radiodoll and other Irish folks,

I've been wondering...did you feel drawn to the irish culture before you got your information stating yur heritage?

I teach Art History, my favorite thing to talk about is the medieval celtic time period. I am totally drawn into the knotwork.


When I recently got my non-id information it said my birthmother had auburn hair - maybe she is irish!

Just a thought!
LAI-S

[snuffie]

I had always felt a "draw" to Irish culture but never persued it as I thought I was another nationality. I felt "envious" of the Irish because I loved their culture. Now I can dance an Irish jig!!
Whoo Hoo I am Irish!(My bGrandma had red hair too!)

[radiodoll]

Yeah, I've always had a celtic thing and actually have collected a lot of celtic music and such. I love the early medieval lore which is really druid and such. Funny, isn't it. But frankly I always guess German. I was wrong! Lots of people thought Italian for the firey nature, I should have known I was Irish! LOLOLOL

Radiodoll

[SusanD60]

I have relatives in Belfast (a-mom's) who have been asking me to come for a visit. Mom told me that when American relatives visit they are treated like royality. They are taken from neighbor to neighbor and is showed off. If I could afford it I certainly would go. The pictures I have seen of Ireland are breath taking. The music is so up lifting, you can't help but get up and try to dance even if you have 2 left feet like me. LOL It seems like a magical fairy tale place to me. Now I am sounding like a small child. ha ha I guess all of us still has a bit of the small child still inside us. Searching and hoping.
God Bless all us Irishmen
Susan

excuse me others too LOL not just the Irish

[pamalou00]

I love all things celtic. I don't know anything about my B-Mother, but as for my real parents, I am Scottish on my Dad's side, Boyd, and Irish on my Mom's side. My great, great grandfather was born in Ireland. Way cool. So for me, I consider myself lucky!
Erin go Braugh!
pamalou

[pamalou00]

You wrote: I teach Art History, my favorite thing to talk about is the medieval celtic time period. I am totally drawn into the knotwork.


I would love to chat with you about this. I love the knotwork as well. Send me an email if you would like to discuss celtic times.
Pamalou00@yahoo.com

[mamottawa]

The Irish shall inherite the earth hehe...

I for one, have found out throughout my non-identifying information that my birth mom was Irish and my " birth dad" was Irish and German. Don'T know how relevant it is today for me, but that might explain why my beard is red and my foundness for Guinness

All joking aside, its cool that you are able to know more about your culture. I remember when i was 8 and my adoptive family went to France and they could trace back their ancestors, how for the first time i felt " different". Before i didn't care and didn't think adoption meant anything special or relevant, but that was one of those instances. Because even if you love your adoptive parents and are not interested in searching, you still know that you DON'T ( or its not an automatic anyway) share the same ancestry.

M-A
Ottawa,Ontario.

[pamalou00]

You wrote...Because even if you love your adoptive parents and are not interested in searching, you still know that you DON'T ( or its not an automatic anyway) share the same ancestry.

It is not like that for me. I get my Irish and Scottish ancestry from my adoptive parents. I am very proud of this. It is not all too important for me to know my birth heritage. I would like to, but if I never do it will not bother me.

[mamottawa]

Perhaps i have not expressed myself very clearly ( english is a second language). I too have "adopted" my parents culture of french Québec ( thus my name Marc-André ) and am very proud of it. I didn't mean that the culture we inherite from our adoptive parents isn't as important, clearly it is important. But ancestors and genealogy tree seems at least important in the respect that it allows one to know where a person comes from. Then again, i am a political science and history buff so... I know what you mean and i completely agree with you. I'm proud of being francophone and share that passion, but i'm also passionated about answering unanswered mysteries, such as one's origines.

Sorry about the confusion

M-A, 24 years old
Ottawa,Ontario