In The Genes?

(oh, wow!, forgot to post anything - that's a first!)

So, I was thinking yesterday about our natures.  I always assumed, if not taught in school, this is a product of our upbringing and environment.  Add different sets of values, religions, etc - there then is a wide variety of responses possible from a person or within a culture.

And I set my mind to trying to remember ...

I thought of my youth, on my great-uncle's dairy.  My parents, unable to deal with a boy, sent me every summer to the farm.  Probably the happiest years of my life.  Me, cows, chickens, 1,000 acres of woods was my playground.  Solitude, yes, but not lonely.  I had my great-uncle Leonard and great-aunt Helene.  They were ancient!  He, was over 100 and she in her 60's.  And we had so much fun and I was fascinated by their stories of the "olden" days.

But I "knew" this was not my home, even as a young rascal.  My heart was somewhere else.

Grandmother lived outside of Portland. Oregon and I was sent off to her house quite often while father was taking classes at the local base.  If he was on TDY (temporary duty assignment), then I had to ask to be set to her house for a weekend away from school.  Mom was more than happy to drop me off as much as possible!  Grandmother allowed me to draw and paint - strictly VERBOTEN in my home!

Again, camaraderie with older people, lots of land to run amok on, and yet, I "knew" Portland was not where I belonged.  Something was 'missing, but I could not define what it was.

My spirit calmed down in France.  I was unhappy about being ripped away from my great-uncle and grandmother but was powerless to change the problem.  I knew life in Quescy-Centre was closer to normal, the way things were supposed to be.  But, still not exactly on target.

The move to my homeland was under duress by everyone!  We were escorted the 190 miles under guard to the German border - such was the hatred expressed towards the NATO "occupiers".  And Germany was not a pleasant place for a 5'6" 5th grader!  Martial law had been declared thanks to the activities of what was to be termed, "The Bader-Meinhoff" gang.  Outside of the inability to run wild, life was much more relaxed and getting closer.  But something was missing.  I just assumed it was the absence of family.

And then for my 10th birthday, we went to Switzerland.

From my first bratwurst on the streets of Basle, I knew I was "home".

It so freaked my parents out that they were whispering about my being sent to my grandmother's to live!
It was weird, but I could not explain why little German boy was so drawn to Switzerland!
It was downright unpatriotic my father would scream, as he attempted to beat this longing out of me.
He would scream a lot of other inconsequential things too.
But my heart had been stolen by Switzerland.
I had no explanation.

So life trudged along.  Me, always knowing I was not where I belonged.

Then came 1984, and the letter from my Swiss grandmother, sent in 1967!

I was planning my return to Europe.

So, yesterday, I was thinking about genetics.
I have four adopted Russian children, whom ranged from 5 to 10 years old at adoption.
So plenty of time to be damaged, or not, by the environment.
And all four are so different!
One Laplander, one Siber-Scythian, and two Cossacks.

If one views a child as a fired bullet and that first ten years of life as the barrel, which points and directs the rest of their lives ... then life becomes predictable!
But two of my grandchildren have missing parents and yet they are carbon copies of those missing parents!
How is this possible!?!?!?!?

Genetics?

How can a child, whom has never known his father, so perfectly emulate facial and body expressions unique to that missing father?  Or, a daughter, the missing mother?

You have to then admit that there is more to genes than just physical aspects.  There are also behavioral traits passed on as well!

So, now I can understand that my love of the mountains and solitude more than likely came from my father - and somehow my love for Switzerland.  Too weird but how else does one explain likes and desires, which can not even be expressed - yet are "known"?

Much of who and what I am I know are the product of my Danish great-uncle, my Scottish grandmother and my Hutterite mentors as a college student.  With plenty of room for my own screw ups in life!  Having amnesia can be a blessing!  But, by examining my reactions to things, I can estimate that there is some now forgotten/sub-conscious history there!  So, I love Italian car styling but am at the same time repelled by them!  I know my first three cars were Italian, but no knowledge as to why or what went wrong with them!  And I find that so was my Swiss uncle's!

It can't be all environment ....
And there are NO coincidences in life.