Importance of knowing your heritage

My fiance and I frequently discuss how important it is to know your heritage. She really want's to know about hers and mine, but I don't really care that much. Both of her parents recently did one of those mail in DNA tests to reveal your genetic make up and got some results that they weren't expecting (I kind of doubt those tests anyway) and now she want's me to do the same.

Personally it doesn't matter to me. My last name is of Irish origin but my paternal grandfather is actually my adoptive grandfather (he married my grandmother and adopted my father when he was a toddler) so we really don't know much. I believe that my biological grandfather's last name was of English origin but I don't remember. Honestly, it doesn't bother me. If I were 100% Irish I don't think that I would celebrate St. Patrick's Day any more than I do now (I wear green but mostly to avoid people telling me I should be and because it brings out my eyes. )

To me where I am now is more important to me. I'm not in Ireland or Germany (which is a majority of my mom's side of the family I'm told). I'm in Amercia. A country that systematically very nearly erased it's own native culture and is one giant melting pot of just about every other culture in the world. My two favorite foods are pizza and Chinese food (yes, just Chinese food in general, it's why I prefer buffets). Next to my favorite comic book store are two global markets, a French restaurant, and a Mediterranean restaurant, all of which are across the street from my favorite Chinese buffet. Why should I limit myself based on where my long dead distant relatives came from?

It drives my fiance nuts that I don't care. She literally just sent me this text.

Goken's fiance wrote: It drives me nuts. Knowing where I come from makes me feel more connected to this earth and part of a bigger picture. It makes me feel proud. I can't imagine not having that. We are living history.

Deeper than I imagined I'd receive via text. :laugh: She does raise some interesting points though.

But you know what makes me feel connected to this earth? Touching grass, feeling the breeze, looking at the stars, looking at satellite images of Earth, stuff like that. I don't need to know where my family was to know where I am. That's the part that matters to me.

Sorry about the ramble. :laugh:

What do you think about knowing your heritage? How important is it to you? How does it influence your life? Did you always know or did you discover it later in life?

I think its extremely important to know where we came from. I have tracked my ancestry off the North American Continent and I think that connection is one of the most important connections we can explore. It literally tracks the evolution of who you are back potentially to the beginning of time. (not literally but I hope you get my intent) Just the idea that if we could somehow track our ancestry back through time into the very energy that makes us up profoundly drives home the idea that we are all one.

I also happen to believe in the idea of a collective consciousness that is passed through genetic memory. Who our ancestors were and how they lived and what they believed and the things they did are directly reflected in us. Knowing where we came from and who our ancestors were tells us a ton about why we are the way we are as individuals. The strengths we have, the fears we have, the character traits we have. We are shaped by our ancestral past and we are directly connected to that history. To explore our ancestors is to explore ourselves.

I celebrate my ancestors as best I can in as many ways as I can by knowing as much as I can about who they were, where they came from, how they lived and what they believed. This is one of the reasons I follow an earth based spirituality. There is something magical in the idea that our ancestors were intimately familiar with the workings of the stars and had a deep harmonious relationship with nature and the earth. It is something we have forgotten today as a species and the eventual destruction of the planet and then ourselves will be the result if we cant reconnect with that harmony we once shared with nature. I think we can find that through our ancestors.

Thats just me though....

This is an interesting question, and one I am currently exploring as part of my apprenticeship.

While I don't think that your heritage should determine who you are now, today, I do see the value of knowing some of the mythology and history that comes with knowing where your ancestors came from.

I am personally Scotch/Irish, and while I don't feel the need to run around in a kilt all the time, I do take advantage of it on days like today when being Irish gives me a pass for enjoying a shot of Jameson and a few Guinness.

My heritage doesn't define me, but for me it's been an important link to people and places I'd otherwise never have had the urge to investigate. It's been a source of tremendous comfort and pride for me, actually - but I can readily accept it won't be for everyone. I like knowing how I got here, even if I'll only ever be here, if that makes sense. The journey to me is part of me... as is the journey from me.

Goken wrote: What do you think about knowing your heritage? How important is it to you? How does it influence your life? Did you always know or did you discover it later in life?

A ll I know is that a early part of my bloodline has Asian origin, some characteristic family features remained so to say.. People tell me I am Asian, and sometimes they say I am white, caught between two different cultures so to say. I do not feel at home in eastern and western culture because of a mixed feeling about both. Seeking something in hertiage would not make me comfortable, because of the mixed orgin.

My written family bloodline can be traced back to the 16th - 17th century. It does not make me more happy, or make me feel better.. Because our family is spread over the globe under multiple names, gives me questions about it, because there is so much I do not know, and so much that is not told to me. It does not have influence in my day to day life, much. Of course I am confronted with my genes every day, that is unavoidable, but at some point one will not notice it much. And when that happens you just move on with it, influence needs attention!

Roman Catholic, Bavarian German ancestry from Weissricht family, Swedish ancestry from Meixel family, Welsh & Irish ancestry from the Davis family (further from Clan MacDavis in Scotland), Scottish ancestry from Clan Gray (descendant of Henry Gray of Fife & his descendant Lord Andrew Gray), Italian descent from the de Fiore family of Milan.

I believe a knowledge of one's ancestry is a powerful anchor to the past, grounding me and placing me in firm foundations with my roots. No, it is not a definition of one's character & one's future path, but it is humbling to know my forebears who came before me.

Goken wrote:

Goken's fiance wrote: It drives me nuts. Knowing where I come from makes me feel more connected to this earth and part of a bigger picture. It makes me feel proud. I can't imagine not having that. We are living history.

I definitely agree with her on the "We are living history" part. I don't know that knowing one's heritage is essential to feel a part of "living history" though. Just looking around at the world as you suggested can make us feel this. The things we do will affect the future in at least some small way. No matter how small of an impact one person has they do have an impact. Even small animals make a huge difference to living history.

Goken wrote: What do you think about knowing your heritage? How important is it to you? How does it influence your life? Did you always know or did you discover it later in life?

I enjoy learning about my family history. It drives me nuts not being able to trace my line back further or with more accuracy. There are also things I'd love to know about different sides of my family.

My paternal grandfather's family was originally from Ireland and that history is fairly well documented. My maternal grandfather is descended from the Cherokee. I learned these parts of my family history from a young age and learned to feel some degree of pride in them. However, this kind of pride is a bit hollow. I didn't choose to be descended from such people and their deeds do not directly affect me in any way that I can see. It is the history of my grandmothers' lines that I'd like to know more about. They are just as important to me as the male lineages. It's a shame that I don't know more about them.

My girlfriend is much like you: she doesn't care about her heritage. I, however, do. It is interesting to know where people come from. I've always loved history and knowing the history of my family and the history of those I'm close to makes me feel much more a part of history.

As for how it influences my life? Well, I don't really think about this much. I'm sure it has some effect on me, probably more than I realize, but I couldn't put my finger on just what that influence is. I will say that I'm extremely conscious of how much alcohol I consume due to the Irish, Scottish, and Native American sides of my family. (Not to sound as if I'm stereotyping here...lol.)

I don't know about factual things...

But, I took a trip to Ireland 5 years ago, and I had never felt more connected to the Earth. I just felt "home," whatever that means.

And, years later, I found out that I was had Irish ancestry. So, I don't know if it's important or not... but, the Force is weird.

Connor L. wrote: I don't know about factual things...

But, I took a trip to Ireland 5 years ago, and I had never felt more connected to the Earth. I just felt "home," whatever that means.

And, years later, I found out that I was had Irish ancestry. So, I don't know if it's important or not... but, the Force is weird.

That brings up an interesting point. I was born in Texas but my family moved before my first birthday. I get that same feeling when ever I go back. Now I knew that before going to Texas so maybe it came about because I expected it to, but I don't know.

I'm right there you brother. At the present my focus is future and thoughts on such but to be able to know the past and see it in the present can have a very many new and un expected joys. One of those gifts of the Force and all!