"Poor Visitor" Response

Hello everyone.

I guess I'l start out by answering the question left posed by yhernandez and then I'll comment on "Poor Visitor" by Jamaica Kincaid.

Kincaid talks about experiencing "the new" and all the emotions and thoughts that went along with it for her. She talks about the loneliness brought on by homesickness and experiencing a new area/perspective of life that challenged her beliefs and ways of thinking. For example she mentions " It was all wrong. The sun was shining but the air was cold...the sun is shining, the air is warm, was not so" (Kincaid, 271).

I can relate to this because I felt I've felt like I've been thrusted into an unfamiliar world before. I was thrusted into the social world, coming from a world that was mainly anti-social and apathetic. I was used to being alone, I felt comfortable being alone, for the most part. Silence and free time is something that I cherish. Moving into a social world where people often communicate with each other and form bonds of friendship was odd. I wasn't sure when people were joking around with me. Once, when I was younger. I remember getting on my school bus for the first time, I sat in a seat near the back and these kids told me that I was in their seat. I didn't think anything of it I figured "Oh, they like sitting here. I guess I'll move. Their's plenty of other seats. I'll just sit in another seat." But when I got up they laughed and said I could keep the seat. They were just playing around. At the time this confused me a little.

Now I'll comment on the story.

While reading the story Kincaid mentions how she daydreams about certain places that were her points of happiness. I couldn't help but smile because I often daydream about different places and ideas. I like to think that daydreaming, or just having time to relax and reflect about life, is very important. Daydreaming is a path to self discovery. You can sit and wonder why something happened in your life and why you reacted a certain way. You can analyze various points in time and see how your past affected your present and/or how it might affect your future. You notice how you've changed, your struggles and triumphs, your strengths, and your weaknesses. You learn many things that you wouldn't have if you didn't have the time to sit in silence and contemplate important questions like, "Who am I? Why has life turned out the way it has for me and others? What is important to me? Getting to know yourself is something I think more people should do. I like the fact that Kincaid seems to have had the time to find out who she is.

My question for the next blogger is. Do you daydream? If so, what do you daydream about? If not why not?