How I learned about TCK
I was at a missions forum with my husband and we had spit up so we could go to different sessions. I went to one on growing up on the mission field and it was lead by a former missionary kid (MK). She started talking about her life and about the term TCK and her reactions to moving to the US. When she was finished I was doing all I could to hold back the tears. I went straight up to her and talked to her about her lecture. I told her how, finally it clicked and I felt like I knew who I was. She gave me a lot of comfort and information on TCK. From there I practically ran to find my husband so that I could share with him this revelation of my life to him. I cannot remember if tears finally were shed at this moment or not. But there was definitly a release of emotion felt. I just let it all out and shared to him everything and he could just see how happy I was with this information.
It is kinda hard to explain unless you have gone through the same sort of experience, whether you are a TCK or not. It was like going through life thinking I knew who I was, though I never really belonged to a country or culture fully. I never fully felt excepted by an country or culture. Moving back to the states I felt isolated, alone, and as if I was a 'nobody from nowhere'. Now all of a sudden there is a spotlight on me and I can see clearly. I know who I am and I belong somewhere, even if it is not a 'place' per se but belonging to a small group of people. It was a termendous weight lifted from my shoulders. Even though I still had a lot of emotional baggage and looking at my life to do, I felt I finally had a sense of direction to go from.
This was the beginning of my journey as a TCK.
It is kinda hard to explain unless you have gone through the same sort of experience, whether you are a TCK or not. It was like going through life thinking I knew who I was, though I never really belonged to a country or culture fully. I never fully felt excepted by an country or culture. Moving back to the states I felt isolated, alone, and as if I was a 'nobody from nowhere'. Now all of a sudden there is a spotlight on me and I can see clearly. I know who I am and I belong somewhere, even if it is not a 'place' per se but belonging to a small group of people. It was a termendous weight lifted from my shoulders. Even though I still had a lot of emotional baggage and looking at my life to do, I felt I finally had a sense of direction to go from.
This was the beginning of my journey as a TCK.
posted by Bonnie Rose © at 2:02 PM
1 Comments:
As a diplomatic brat I cannot but share your feelings. I tend to feel at home everywhere, for a time. Its a blessing and drawback to have the inner resiliance and pratical capabilities to move on to a new job or country on the drop of a dime, but oddly depressing that not even one's most educated and travelled friends can keep up. Worse yet is the hostility one gets from some friends who insist on not being interested in your travels. Its in the eyes, and they way they insist on talking about TV shows or mortgages.
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