Colonial Thinking 15/09/2005 My regular readers may find this hard to believe but I spend a lot of time thinking about the blog and its direction. I have a basic aim (to showcase my writing) but within that there is huge variety in the subjects I write about. There are times when I wonder if what I'm producing is really one of those rant/opinion blogs that I so carefully avoid reading. Of course, I can wave the occasional fiction piece and claim to be a litblog, but many of the other posts are my opinion, pure and simple. So what the heck am I doing with this blog and is it drifting from its original purpose?A couple of weeks ago, I came across a good article entitled Theming: How It Isn't Just About The Looks. Kamigoroshi makes the good point that having a consistent theme is important to a good blog and then he says this:So if you think that people aren't paying attention to your blog enough, try focusing on something. It can be a set style of writing, it can be a set situation you're in; as long as you focus on one thing at a time…people will come. It may be slow but people will come regardless.Well, that made me all defensive about my wandering, guess-what's-coming-next blog and I made this comment:I’ve seen this advice several times now and always think of my blog - it covers just about any subject you care to name. It’s popular enough, however, and so I have to ask myself: are these guys right or are they wrong? And the answer, I’ve decided, is that you are right but not necessarily in the way you think you are. Yes, a theme is required, but that theme is not always subject matter. I have come to realize that my product is actually - lil ole me. My readers come back because I’m such a freak, they never know what I’ll come out with next. And, presumably, I make the subject matter interesting enough for them to read and comment."So I have to conclude: if you know everything about one thing, write about it. If you know a little about everything, write about yourself!Since then I've done a little more thinking and discovered that I do have a theme beyond myself; it's just that it's not actually stated anywhere. My theme and the subject in which I connect with my readers is, strangely enough, what I can only define as "the colonial mentality". By this I mean a way of seeing the world that comes from having grown up beyond the shores of Britain and in one or more of her old colonies.I know that this gives me a rather different perspective on things from those who have lived all their lives in Britain. When I returned to England in 1976, I found that it was indeed "home", just as colonials had always referred to it, but that the world view of its people was more focused upon their own affairs and less upon understanding the world beyond their little island. They were (dare I say it?) insular.Which is not intended as a criticism. They knew the empire had gone and the major task confronting them was a redefinition of Britain's role in the world; no longer a great world power, was she to become a part of the Greater Europe that loomed in the future or somehow find a way to remain independent and free in spite of her small size? There were internal problems to be decided as well; devolution of power to the Celtic nations within the Union and the transfer from a manufacturing economy to something else (they're still working on that one).So I found that my worldview was irrelevant in Britain. They had no need to understand the forces that were ripping through Africa or Australia's coming to terms with Asian immigration, Canada's wrestling with Quebec's urge to be separate or New Zealand's need for new markets as Britain disappeared into Europe. I felt like a dinosaur amongst my own people.The move to America has changed that. Suddenly I find that my thoughts are relevant again and harmonize with those of many around me, both in the nation and on the net. The walls of insularity have fallen and I am allowed to reflect on a wider view of the world again.The reason is that I am back in my natural habitat, the colonies. And, before my American friends get huffy and start protesting that they are not a colony, I must assure them that there are no colonies left, apart from the Falkland Islands and who would want to live there? What I am saying is that Britain's old colonies (no matter how long ago they departed the fold) have much in common in their thinking.Consider how well the Americans and Australians get along together. Think about how many Southern Africans have ended up in Australia, mostly around Perth from what I hear, and how at home there they have become. Remember how unsurprised we are that New Zealanders and Canadians can understand each other. There is a cultural similarity between us that allows these relationships to survive, even more so now that the internet has destroyed the barrier of distance.Part of this common outlook is what I call "the frontier mentality". It is not that long ago that these nations were hacked from the wilderness (and no, I'm not going to enter a long debate on the rights and wrongs of what happened to the native peoples - it happened and we live with it). Living that close to a time when survival was what mattered brings about a very direct and no-nonsense way of thinking that is rare in Britain.I have come to see that it is no coincidence that, of the three "top blogs" I read every day, two are Australian and one American. We speak the same language and understand where we're coming from.This is my natural element and this is what I blog: the simple thoughts of an unsophisticated and literal-minded old colonial. And, if this reaches others who think about the same things, then I am well pleased. Looks like a theme to me...
Clive
Autumn That it does! Date Added: 15/09/2005
Gone Away Ah, there's nothing like affirmation. :) Date Added: 15/09/2005
keeefer Sadly England is a dying nation. Its values and beliefs are eroding in a sea of liberalism and migrants. It is a sad thing to witness but not necessarily a bad thing. Now that i reside in Oz and observe there attitude towards immigrants i realise how tolerant the brits have become. A few northern cities aside, the integration of cultures and skin colours into the uk is, nowadays, almost seemless. Here in Australia the attitude is very much that of 1970s brits. They object to non 'australian' cultures, there are political moves to stop things like muslim headscarves, serious debates about wether migrants should be allowed to congregate in one suburb creating their own culture. I find it deeply disturbing. I also find it amusing that when you point out that the true Australian is the one with the dark skin who is largely ignored in his own country they dismiss the 'abbos' as stupid or drunkards etc. Then in the next breath or in the next news bulletin you will be told what a tolerant nation they are and how they need migrants to keep their economy afloat.....it is very odd to observe but i guess it is the growing pains that all nations must go through. Not too sure how i ended up waffling on about this, its not really related to the topic.....guess im just finding it odd Date Added: 16/09/2005
Gone Away You're seeing it from the other end, Keef - as a Brit coming into contact with colonial thinking. Growing pains? Maybe, but also a closeness to the facts of life... Date Added: 16/09/2005
Josh To avoid the topic and address a question to a subtopic--do you see any cultural dissonance between 'former colonies' and the Dominions? does being a Dominion even mean anything (culturally speaking that is) anymore?
I've often tried to pin down what our early separation did to us that staying part of the Commonwealth would have changed.
Any thoughts, Clive? Date Added: 16/09/2005
Gone Away To answer the easier question first: I think the Dominions retain something in common because they hung on to the monarchy as a point of common interest. For them, Britain remained forever "home" in some sort of mystical way, even though the majority of their populations may never have seen the ancestral island. This has created a cultural tie that preserves a certain outlook, much of which has long disappeared in Britain. They are, in fact, remembering Britain as she was, not how she is today. It is this that creates a static point within the Dominions' cultures that enables them to still speak the same language today (and often be misunderstood back in the old country).
When we come to America, it is far more difficult to say whether anything was lost or gained through that early separation. The British monarchy is adored in the States in a way that it never was in Britain or the Dominions. Perhaps Americans can afford a more romantic view on this than the old Empire, since the Commonwealth is still affected by the monarchy in real ways. Perhaps it would be easiest to look at Canada to see whether any profound differences resulted from the split.
To a Brit, there is no discernible difference between a Canadian and an American; they sound the same to us, drive big cars, live in skyscrapered cities and have masses of space in their outback. Any difference that I can see comes from listening to Statesiders talk about Canadians (they seem to be able to think of lots of differences, eh?) and from the occasional protest from a Canadian when they are too roughly handled by an American on the net. It seems to me that the two nationalities have far more in common than otherwise.
So have Americans lost anything by going it alone all those centuries ago? I doubt it. And the frontier mentality that I talked of, that optimism, toughness and directness, remains what keeps America and the Dominions speaking the same language. The only difference that I can think of is the Americans' fascination with the royal family - good grief, man, they're only human. ;) Date Added: 16/09/2005
Josh Well, I for one am not particularly fascinated by the royals, though my Mom informed me today that I have the same birthday as Prince Harry. "Prince who?" I asked, feigning ignorance -- mostly out of a sense of not wanting to know, but also because I like to poke fun at her when she goes all pop-culturish on me. :)
I do admit knowing of this phenomenon, but at the roots it is likely just a case of the grass always being greener, or pondering of the path not taken, even if it was history that chose the route.
It's also important to note that this fascination with all things regal never became a national psychosis that allowed an autocrat to emerge, so perhaps it is but a waveform fancy, passing as they do in and out of the heart of our national mindset. Then again, most of the anglo-saxon cultures on Earth have never been left wanting for relative wealth, prosperity or stability and thus have no problem letting a sated ambivalence guide the somewhat jittery hand of democracy. Date Added: 16/09/2005
Askle Juggernaut? I think so. Oh, and that thing about the diet paper - don't mention it anymore please... Date Added: 16/09/2005
Stuart Keefer was right - we are one of the most racially intolerant nations on earth - but we do a good snow job. Clive you might have been wrong - Australians like Americans as individuals but we don't necessarily love the country. Unfortunately our Prime Minister, who for some reason reminds me of the infamous Toad of Toad Hall, loves America and and it wouldn't surprise me if I saw him one day draped in the American flag. But then, like most Australians, I have a very jaundiced view of politicians and personally I think that the last good one died some years ago. His view of politics was that you were a rooster one day and a feather duster the next so he didn't care too much who he upset as long as he worked for the people who voted for him. Date Added: 16/09/2005
Watson the Peach I've heard that sand is better than soap to wash your hair - and more environmentally friendly. Date Added: 16/09/2005
Gone Away Well, yes, Josh, it does seem to be a case of the grass being greener etc. Easy to say when you know there's no chance of getting over the fence. But they seem to keep many Americans amused and so perform that function at least. As for the Anglo Saxons, they are the most prickly, awkward-minded people on earth and have always proved impossible when trying to tax them unfairly (as they see it). Even Maggie Thatcher found that out... Date Added: 16/09/2005
Gone Away I think how one views any country depends on one's own politics, Stuart. But, as you say, it is possible to like individuals even of a country one disapproves of and that's my point, really. Generally speaking, Americans and Australians seem to get along very well together and that has nothing to do with the attitude of your Prime Minister. As for the politician you mention who was solely interested in serving the voters, I'd have to say, "It could only happen in Oz..." ;) Date Added: 16/09/2005
John (SYNTAGMA) Avoiding the politics ~ I've written far too much about that recently ~ and going back to your first point : writers are like that. They are natural polyglots who hoover up information on all sorts of things, which then morphs into a variety of literary real estate linked by a magic thread of associations. The theme is the magic. A writer's blog is about the writer, which means it will be impossible to pin down or categorize, aside from the magic. Date Added: 16/09/2005
Gone Away Are you saying I'm normal, John? Whew, that's a relief! Date Added: 16/09/2005
Kitty yeah your blog is uniquely yours Clive, and it's your journal. I can identify with you - at times it feels like my blog is here and there and everywhere, and i can so see myself in it l though (as I am a person who's here and there and everywhere) lol. Date Added: 16/09/2005
Gone Away Thanks, Kitty - in the end, I guess we can only be who we are. :) Date Added: 16/09/2005
Beltane I think anyone who wants to contain their personal blog into a theme to make other people happy is too conformist. :p I don't think you should 'try' and do anything. Everything I've read here I have enjoyed immensely. I gather most people who come back agree. That should be enough. What I want to know is what are your favorite blogs? I'd like to see what you prefer to read. I'm all curious. Date Added: 16/09/2005
ME Strauss At first I was sorry to have missed the discussed in deference to the work causing my desk to list toward the lake . . . now, having read the last comment I'm glad to have benefit of all these comments. Had you not quoted yourself, Clive, I would have given you the same speech. Your thoughts are the theme of this blog. That is the magic that keeps me coming back. What's going to be Clive's take today? I might not agree, but he gives me something to think about, new ideas and insights. Also the community you've built is part of your *theme* should you want to call it that. What those articles are speaking of when they speak of theme is really branding. What can I count on consistently from your blog? Tom Peters would say it should be you. In GoneAway it is, and that's a rare and special thing. Date Added: 16/09/2005
Gone Away Thanks for the kind comments, Beltane. :)
As for which blogs I read, I have a list as long as your arm but the really special ones go into my Gone Links page. Date Added: 16/09/2005
Gone Away Thank you, Liz. :) And that's a good point you make about the community of commenters - they're a great bunch and make blogging worthwhile! Date Added: 16/09/2005
Ken You do yourself an injustice, Gone Away. "The simple thoughts of an unsophisticated and literal-minded old colonial"? Hardly, I'd say! What I enjoy about your blog is its frank, discursive openness and consistently high level of literacy. You're a very sophisticated, canny writer and, to draw on something I read in another post, you do do irony! Date Added: 16/09/2005
Gone Away Thank you, Ken. you are too kind! Date Added: 17/09/2005
Trée Clive, what's a theme--lol. As you've noticed from my blog I have no enduring theme--none--well, I do have a regular FNF, but outside of that--nothing. Of course, I don't have the burden of trying to develop regular or loyal readers. As I've mentioned before, I come to your blog because of "how" you write, not "what" you write about. As long as you continue to write with flair and skill, I'll be here. I really don't care about "no stinkin' theme" lol. Date Added: 17/09/2005
Gone Away You're a wise one, Trée - no theme indeed! Yours is the same as mine: whatever we happen to be thinking of at the time... ;) Date Added: 17/09/2005
raul Clive my movement is the oposite to yours, I was born in Argentina (ex spain colony) and from 2002 I am living in south spain, in cuevas del almanzora the village where my mother was born. Huge britons are coming to Ameria coast, but I don't know if almeria is the best place to live, to exception the sun, weather and beach, but from cultural aspect almeria is a desert. Oklahoma is a place choosing by Carl in Amerika Kafka Novel. Date Added: 04/12/2005
Gone Away Yet we both know the southern hemisphere, Raul! There are some interesting coincidences here: your interest in Kafka and his novel Amerika with the reference to Oklahoma where I live now; the return from the southern hemisphere to the land of our ancestors. Perhaps you will one day come to America too! Date Added: 04/12/2005
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