Wednesday, October 28, 2026
What makes a place home?
I recently heard a sermon on the idea of "home," at the idea has gotten stuck in my mind. The speaker was searching for some kind of definition of home that will work for everyone, but I'm not sure that is a worthwhile task-- different people have very different conceptions of home, and that should be ok. I can think of at least three archetypes:
The Swift
Swifts are fascinating birds that spend almost all of their time in the air. Their existence is in motion- and that really is their home. I do know people like that, for whom moving is a kind of home; that is where they are most comfortable and worthy. There have always been nomads, and they are still with us.
The Turtle
Some people carry home with them from one place to another. Often these people will identify "home" as being where they can be with the person or people they love-- that is the most comfortable and worthy place for them.
The Burrowing Groundhog
For many-- perhaps even most-- people, home is a specific place, most likely the place they grew up. That is where they are most comfortable and worthy, and many places are built around those people with this kind of a deep commitment to a place they love.
The funny thing is that nearly everywhere you will find different proportions of these groups, but always some people from each. New York City is a good example-- you have people passing through but staying for a bit, the turtles who have brought their home with them, and those long-term families with deep roots. And they all are better off for having the others...
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I saw a video several years ago taken by a guy paddling across Canada. He asked the same questions. Given all in life is transient, his conclusion was that home is less a place and more an interior experience, a claiming of one’s place in the world - spiritually.
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