Finding my place to stand
Ibelieve existential wellbeing are fancy words for why we are here, and how we fit in. French philosopher Jean Paul Sartre described existence before essence and discussed the concepts of Being and Nothingness; he also wrote the fascinating The Imaginary: A Phenomenological Psychology of the Imagination, which helped me understand what it means to be human and how we relate to the world.
Standing in a graveyard in Dumbarton, Scotland, beside the graves of your grandfather and great grandparents is a good place for me to contemplate my existential wellbeing and where I fit in the world and the continuum of time. It’s also a bit spooky seeing my name and those of two of my children on a gravestone. I’m glad it’s daylight. My son is the fifth Thomas Mulholland in a row and having that succession does contribute in a small part to one’s existential wellbeing – if you want it to.
The psychology of the imagination delivers images of my ancestors and the toil and decisions they made, including emigrating to New Zealand 60 years ago as part of what were called the ‘‘Ten Pound Poms’’. A large family of Mulhollands decimated the local soccer teams’ ranks when they arrived here after jumping ship to Aotearoa for 10 pounds each (the six kids travelled free).
Life is a treasure hunt, if you want to see it that way, and tracing your ancestors can be like that. A quick trip to the genealogy society in Edinburgh reveals what I had known: that my great-grandfather’s father had jumped ship from Belfast to Glasgow, presumably to escape the great hunger in Ireland.
So, I amonmy first trip to Belfast, and the origin of the Mulhollands stirs up genetic memory and an existential blush. The locals are keen to meet us and greet us like long lost cousins as we track our family name and places of interest, like the giant Mulholland grand organ in the Ulster Hall. A trip through the troubled parts that divide Shankill Rd and The Falls and the divide between Protestant and Catholic is as palpable as the Peace wall and colourful murals that celebrate the Struggles.
We are all wired differently and some of us can add to our wellbeing bank account by taking an interest in our genealogy – the struggles and triumphs of our forebears give us perspective. In many cultures it is normal to pay respect to our tupuna and hold on to the belief that they walk with us. The fact that my grandmother was a Protestant and my grandfather was a Catholic makes the divides in Belfast and Glasgow even more relevant.
I recently read that the number of habitable planets is exponentially more than we thought. The size of the universe to me is incomprehensible. So, to anchor yourself to space and time I suggest tracing your family tree.
If you are lucky enough to have living ancestors, take an oral history and get to understand your existence before your essence. Dip into a bit of philosophy and the works GETTY IMAGES of Sartre. It makes for interesting reading to add to the works of Facebook and Stuff.
Use the psychology of your imagination to track your forebears and maybe embark on an adventure where you can visit where they were born, where they lived and and where they died. ● Dr Tom Mulholland is an Emergency Department Doctor and GP with over 25 years experience in New Zealand. He’s currently a man on a mission, tackling health missions around the world.