Part Irish, Part Cherokee, Part Elf

I figure I'd better go ahead and blog now or it might not happen today. The reason is because, if I know what I'm going to write about, I tend to think and think and build the idea until it's much too big for a blog and then because something of an opinion essay and potentally a dissertation. That just can't be.

Woke up this morning, went to the toilet with the song "Indian Outlaw" playing in my head for some reason. It's this Tim McGraw country song from like 1994, and I haven't heard it in years, let alone ever cared to hear it anyway. I suppose I know the tune by default because the side of my family I grew up around is a bunch of southern mountain folk, with a few hicks and a couple rednecks (there is a difference). This is not a bit of fact I am neither proud or ashamed of. It's where I come from. So, back to the song. As I was washing my face and brushing my face and humming "...half Cherokee and Choctaw...", I recalled that there was some controversy over "Indian Outlaw" within the American Indian tribes in the US. Being descendant more than one Cherokee ancestor, I kind of felt guilty for having looping in my head.

So I looked it up when I got to work and found that the controversy was over the stereotypical language about American Indians used in the song. I read the lyrics and yeah, they're dumb.

I'd like to know what percentage of Cherokee heritage I have. I guess it doesn't really matter, I'm just curious. I've been on a good many Native American websites and forums for different purposes, and the general consensus I've noticed is one of exclusivity, that if you're not full-blooded and part of a tribe those who are think you're sort of silly for trying to figure out your Indian roots. I know I've got to be less than half Cherokee, but it'd be nice to be able to place myself genes-wise. I'm dark-haired, dark-eyed and yellowish-tanned, with a round face and high prominent cheekbones. Kids in school used to always ask if I was Chinese/Hispanic/Italian/whatever else. In college it was sort of a joke and my friends just started calling me "ethnic". I know my looks come from my Indian genes, I just wish they were closer to my generation so I could claim them more easily.

So here's to being American, Southern Appalachian, a hodge-podge of Irish, Scottish, Cherokee and who knows what else.

Now, let's think about what's been good about today so far:

1. I didn't get any speeding tickets today. I was soo cautious on my way to work this morning. In fact, they should have pulled me over and given me a pardon for yesterday's offense for such defensive and apologetic driving.
2. My boss is out sick. Hence why I am blogging so early in the day. I may be getting too comfortable though, because I'm on my second cup of tea for the day and I still feel like I haven't quite woken up yet.
3. A lovely new writer I'm currenty enjoying. Her name is Theodora Goss and she writes these strange fantastical short stories. I'm reading her collection entitled In the Forest of Forgetting. I will definitely be writing more about her in a later post. For now I'm getting to know her stories better.

I wish work was like class and you didn't have to call in if you wanted to skip. I just want to go outside and play.

Actually I'd like to be making my way into this enchanted forest:




Yes, I think I'd much rather do that. Maybe I can find the Elves and they can tell me my heritage. Maybe Theodora Goss lives there somewhere.