When Barry Became Barack is an interesting article, and it is the first article that I've linked to on any site that has something to do with a possible future President of the United States. But that isn't why I've linked to it, and it also isn't the misspelling of 'reluctant' within the very first paragraph (come on people - spell check!).

The reason I'm linking to it is quite simple. I can sort of relate to it. Being of multiple cultures makes for some interesting times, and the fact that a human can't be striped has its own penances. For me, I was thought to be:

• Mexican in Texas
• Cuban or Puerto Rican in Florida - even being refused gas at one place in the Panhandle once.
• Cuban/Puerto Rican/Dominican Republic/Colombian in New York
• Filipino in Japan
• Mixed Samoan in Hawaii
• 'Red', 'White' or Venezualan in Trinidad and Tobago

Identity is simply something you either have or you don't - it isn't something that other people give to you, but as a younger man traveling around I quickly learned to use what other people thought of me to my advantage where possible. I've been called a greaser, spic, howlie and many other things. Over time, I learned that wherever I went, I was a minority in numbers - and because of my own weak personal identity at times, I wasn't respected here and there. What was worse was that the minorities I was identified with didn't see me as a part of the whole. A very odd existence. { Read more }

Before or after someone asks where I am from, I get asked what I do.

What do I do?

I:

• read a lot.
• write less than I read.
• Do a variety of projects. Sometimes I even get paid.

So then, it becomes 'What sort of projects?'

And the answer is every bit as diverse as my bio, if not more. And that only says what I have done, not what I am going to do or what I presently do.

When I think about it, I wonder why that question makes sense to the person asking. What is it that they want to know about me? Do they want to toss a technical term on me and stick me on a shelf?

Doesn't anyone do anything but specialize anymore? Do ants wander around asking each other what they do?

Do I need permission to do more than one thing from some uber-group? Who are these people?

You know what would be a better question?

'What can you do?'

And then you might get a better answer. Verbose, since I can do many things, but a better answer.

And if its all personal, the question should be:

'Who are you?'

And for most people, that takes a lifetime to find out. For a select few, the process is unbelievably accelerated.

The question comes sooner or later:

Where are you from?

I:

• was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and stayed there 3 years.
• lived in Dayton, Ohio for 6 years.
• lived in Trinidad and Tobago for 6 years (maybe 7).
• lived in Dallas, Texas for about a year.
• traveled around the US for a bit over a year. Fun year.
• lived in Ozone Park, New York for 1 year.
• joined the Navy and traveled to all sorts of fun places for 6 years.
• got out of the Navy and lived in Ozone Park, New York for about half a year.
• moved to Orlando, Florida and lived there for about a year.
• moved to St. Petersburg/Clearwater, Florida, for about 6 years.
• moved to Trinidad for about 4 years to keep an eye on the old man.
• travelled Central America and the Caribbean for a year. Lots of places.
• returned to Trinidad to settle some issues and decide on where next to be - 2 years now.

So where am I from? Why do you ask? I am from Not Here. Any questions?

And did you notice I didn't ask where you were from?