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E-Mail 'An Odar’s Pilgrimage to Historic Armenia' To A Friend
Email a copy of 'An Odar’s Pilgrimage to Historic Armenia' to a friend
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Email a copy of 'An Odar’s Pilgrimage to Historic Armenia' to a friend
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Kristi, another great article and story! Thank you. My mom’s family were from Dikranagerd (Turkified to Diyarbakir) and survived the Genocide. My grandmother and grandfather told my mother numerous horror stories about their survival. I wonder how many women and their young children drowned themselves in the Tigris River. I would venture to say that you were on sacred ground where you sat by the banks of the river. Thank you, again, for sharing your trip details and for writing such a wonderful article.
Thank you Kristi for sharing your story with us. The example that you are giving is very touchy and very true. I am talking about your example of your grandparent’s side of the story. I feel the same way when my studen’t grandparents come to pick them up to go and visit their grate grandparent who leave in Colorado, Palm Springs or Oklahoma. I always feel different and deprived from that kind of experiences. Why I didn’t have that? Why my great grandmother didn’t have the opportunity to take me to her house and enjoy her cooking with me. I started reading your article when I was sitting in our teachers lounge but in the end I had to move to another room because I was getting emotional and had teary eyes. Yes, these kind of feelings are always part of our life. Thanks again.
Kristi:
if you are ‘Odar’, I am Genghis Khan.
I many ways, you are more Armenian than many ethnic Armenians I know.
Lots of Armenians by birth who speak Armenian and have Armenian names are nothing like an Armenian that I instinctively know one to be. Many Armenians in Diaspora who don’t have Armenian names and don’t speak a word of Armenian are also ‘more Armenian’ than many residents of RoA.
Don’t ask me to describe how I know: as Justice Potter Stewart wrote; “I can’t define it, but I know it when I see it” (about non-commercial copyright works).
You wrote:
“but I do know that a few days in Anatolia left me with a heart full of something I can’t quite identify, my head spinning and my mouth unable to articulate why. “
“The mountains, I wish I could convey to you how beautiful they are. They’re covered with lines up and down and across, creases created by centuries of laughing and weeping.”
There you have it. Felt like a true Armenian.
Kristi, I agree with my friend Avery.
In the reality of today’ diaspora, just what is an Armenian? Someone who is “100 percent” by lineage and does little to identify with their heritage or an individual who “adopted” the culture either through marriage or association… By choice.
An Armenian in the diaspora is by choice. Lyon can embrace it or you can distance yourself from it. It’s the actions and the spirit that make the difference. You embody the spirit of love, respect and identity with Armenia and its culture. You have made a choice and we should be thankful.
Thank you for the kind words, everyone. Yerkar apreq.
Dream on armenians.
Kristi– I read your thoughts and comments with awe; you have a keen appreciation for all things Armenian. Sharing your observations and insight is a gift to everyone who stops long enough to read and reflect.
Having recently visited Armenian, I am appreciative of the nuances that abound. I grew up hearing the whispered comments and veiled stories (because the realities were too grim to speak aloud) about the genocide. Appreciating the beauty of the land, the architecture, and the people is “the solidarity in the human experience.” Thank you for sharing. You make me most grateful.
I wish we would delete the word Odar from out beautiful language. Very derogatory word in my opinion like the Turks have for us Christians. Has no place in our generation.
Ahmet, at least we Armenians are human enough to dream unlike the people who are dead inside and do not even have dreams, and because of their guilty conscious (Armenian genocide) they only have nightmares (that is if they have a conscious).