The Ethiopian ATTACHMENT

Selam Wud-Zegoch,

After the last blog post, some of you emailed me raged about my expressions of Ethiopia-winet , some of you though, appreciated and commented that I might use less harsher words.

Both comments taken: the good critique and the bad ones too.

Before I go on posting today’s blog, I would like to re-emphasize endegena that the only intention of

ethiomind is not to impose any form of judgment and criticize the very essence of Ethiopiawinet , but rather to empower it and possibly to shine a light on the weak shadow that always haunts us – ethiopia-yawians.

In-fact I learn long ago that he who judges will not be excluded to be measured himself with the same ruler that he is using to measure others. Pointing one finger outward implies pointing three folded fingers to self…………. And as we know “… he who judges….”

So, I go …. Blogging again…

Let’s talk about the notion: “I’m better than you and better than all. Me and my family are the most talented, the most educated, the wealthiest of the society. Ohh, no I can do better than him, this is nothing, it is not his work, I went to blah blah private school or I was in blah blah sefer, ohh I don’t associate with habesha people, ohh in my sefer there is no black people even habesha…”
I want to approach this subject from inside out. As mentioned in the past article, identity is the fabric that we are made of. The creator made us different to b-e-a-u-t-f-y us … not to divide us, not to disguise us, not to empower some to be above others….. With out unity, identity is in crisis.

The plague that has invaded us “ethiopia-wians” is not only in our external interaction amongst our own race or others, but it is prevalent amongst ones closet family.

This might not apply 100% for all families (as it is not un-unchanged yemaylewet word of God), yes it is true some families have managed to go above and beyond the weak competitive attitude. ALL POWER TO THEM – we all should learn from them.

It is my belief that society is the grand sum of families, where as families are a collection of close siblings and extended ties. If we take a single habesha family (as a nucleus); at times it is full of competition, jealousy, pull downs and immeasurable turmoil. What I experienced and observed with my interaction with many other sidete-gnoch what haunts us day and night is the ever growing guilt trip and snare that has been imposed from our own family ties.

The result is that we have thousands of Ethiopians living in the land of opportunity, living below the poverty line. In the land of free, modern day slaves to some menial, back breaking jobs just trying to fulfill some greedy un-understanding family member who is creating havoc to a sidetegna soul.

Here I want to emphasize few things; I AM NOT SAYING THAT HELPING FAMILY IS WRONG; I’M NOT SAYING THAT DOING MENIAL JOBS ARE WRONG. I help my family every day; first by not being a burden on them, second by doing every possible thing that I can with out jeopardizing my existence.
As far as menial jobs go, I have done it all – but as a means to my end – temporarily. Then I moved forward….. forward

The saddest part of it all is that, after sidetegnaw sew creating all this show and drama to satisfy a selfish, jealous sibling back home or elsewhere, there is no gratefulness and encouraging words that come out to refuel his exhausted soul. But, rather dissatisfaction. Which is a major cause of loss of energy, time and a useful lifespan ---- the cycle goes on.
An inquiry mind wants to know – WHY???? How many are touched by this? ( bet yikuterew )

Why can’t family members be happy for one’s achievement, one’s effort, one’s success… why are many people rejoice in hidden for the failure of the other. Yewedeke zaf misar yibezabetal
Of course, there is always an exception to everything and anything…. I want to learn from that, we all should learn from that –I applaud the positive outcome.

There is no individual success and achievement, with out a strong supportive family as a backbone.

Next I will blog on …. Veering off- of individual-to-family to a family-to-society tie.

So, hang on… write back

Selam Qwou.

( ethiomind@gmail.com)

We Ethiopians Are DIFFERENT!

First of all the intent of this and many other writings in
this blog (ethiomind) is just to unveil the age old question that boggles my mind every single day as I go through my life’s journey while living my mark behind.

Especially living overseas, due to economical reasons ONLY! (No matter how many do not admit it –), raising the very foundational identity questions meteyek is more and more relevant.

Beteley, these questions should knock at the internal door of our identity – what makes us different and what makes us similar.

I’m going to delve in to this one for a starter:

Many of us Ethiopians have a belief that “We are NOT black or African, we are NOT white, we are not ARAB, but we are DIFFERENT race”

Even though, the above statement magnifies our positioning of self ( maninetachi-nen in the site of the outside world (among the many African, Asian, Hispanic and Caucasian races), the internal turmoil that we are going through is worst.

As it is not the intent of this blog to answer very philosophical questions and deliver solutions, I don’t claim to be a sociological expert. But, comments from experts are welcome.

Identity maninet is very important for human beings. Knowing who we are, where we came from and where we are going individually and communally is a key to have a successful existence.

But, to embrace an over inflated belief that declares “we are different, we are special, we have what the whole world needs, we are better than everybody who looks different from us, who speaks different from us and who thinks different from us” is WRONG and the source all sorts of identity crisis.

On top of the scenario, not having any thing to show ( except the blurry PAST) that we brag about guregn-net is a double shame.
I often find these arrogance attitude and empty flattery in many of my people, and long before I wrap up my judgmental remark, I find myself displaying the same manners that I hated the most.

So, the quest is not about some people le-loch sewoch only but also it is in my Ethiopian blood.

I am also fighting my own shadow that I observe floating everywhere over my “unawake Ethiopians”. It is imperative not to try to avoid it or fly from it or hide from it. Because, everywhere Ethiopians live, these perplexed identity questions dwell.

“We Ethiopians are different and special and we are better than every body!”

An inquiry mind wants to know, where did we attain these rootless ethnocentric ideologies? How does it become the most illusive concept of our identity? Maninet-achin!

NEXT: I will inquire the question internally, the “I’m better than you and better than all. Me and my family are the most talented, the most educated, the wealthiest of the society. Ohh, no I can do better than him, this is nothing, it is not his work, I went to blah blah private school or I was in blah blah sefer , ohh I don’t associate with habesha people, ohh in my sefer there is no black people even habesha…”

What I call the saga of the confused and lost Ethiopians in the wonder land …. I will question Individuals and societies that live every day under self comparison and negative “dog-eating-dog “non-cohesive existence- us Ethiopians.

Selam Qwou.
Ethiomind