I think each of us that choose to move here are motivated by different reasons and what you might call values. I was motivated to move by the need for a different lifestyle, a different pace of life. To be honest, my pace of life can still be pretty hectic trying to juggle work, home, garden, social activities on and off the island, voluntary community responsibilities as well as the usual challenges of island living. And yes sometimes I do need to rush around the town to get all my "messages" done before racing for the boat and get frustrated at supermarket and traffic queues. But it is a pace of life I choose rather than one enforced upon me as it was living in London. I love the natural landscape and do feel more connected to nature. It wasn't part of my choice in moving here, but I have come to love the history of the islands, and the many connections with generations past. Each year there is a knock on the door with someone returning to visit the home their ancestor lived in (In the early 1800s onwards the house once was home to two families each with 12 cildren who spread to all corners of the globe). I love the fact that Stromness is full of artists, writers, poets and other creative people who share their creativity with the community, and there are various festivals throughout the summer. But I also have visited other places where I feel I could have been at home too - it's just that serendipity brought me to Graemsay ;-) I love living in Orkney, but I don't have rose tinted spectacles - the community as a whole has many strengths, but also has it problems, and many challenges to come eg- one of the larger builders has gone into liquidation with immediate redundancy of 70 folk. That is a large number in a small community........ Sian Graemsay On 18/06/2010 02:04, stephen davie wrote: > > > Sian and Bruce have filled in some of the blanks about island life in > Orkney, but there are still lots of unanswered queeries as to values > which motivate people to live there, to stay there, or to move there > from elsewhere. I spent a very moving day on Wyre, in the rain, > alone, and with no means of returning to Stronsay for some number of > hours. I recall the roaming chickens, and that reminded me of the > more rural areas of Manitoulin Island here. I made one of the best > friends I have in life, on this list. It is like we are kindred > souls, as we both have Orkney roots that run deep and historically > interesting, we both were affiliated with north american indians, and > we both are profoundly proud of our norwegian/orcadian roots. As our > lives move onward towards some sort of sunset, we have both deduced > that it is those simple things in nature which matter each day, and > which inspire us. I think I am happy where chickens run free, in > Cuba, Orkney and the Manitoulin. Sian mentioned the sunsets. I have a > foto I took on Papa Stronsay of a sunset on June 21. I can relate, > Sian, to your thinking and feeling. Also, to be divest of the dreaded > auto accident threat in your neighborhood. An incredible blessing. > Last year I had my first ever accident, and it has cost me half of my > hearing, and I am insured a life of daily discomfort. Had I been > living on Stronsay, what happened to me would never have occured. And > nobody I know of has ever been attacked by a sheep! > > For all the years I have been jabbing and flabbing on this site, and > with the friends I have made here, I have wondered about the mystical > sort of element that Orkney possesses. I recall in my trip there, > people actually asking about the family roots, and distant relatives > and people who's families that lived alongside my family, actually > grequently said..."Welcome Home!." This I found to be a real > privilege to receive. People basically at some point in life ask who > they are, and where they came from. It starts with the premise that > none of us could get to pick our own parents. Computers have > accelerated the genealogy research passion, beyond previous limits, > due to time and cost. > >