Freud Theory

Okay, let's analyze this:

What IS "a sense of place"?
A sense is the basic instinctual recognition (i.e. sight and hearing, voyance and audience). Sense means one is familiar with a reality--to break this down, let's say, experience. In order to experience, or have reality, one must be aware. Self-aware, something Bourgeoisie sounding.
I already defined place at a personal level and definitive (definition-based) level.

Thus, for a "sense of place" to happen, I must be familiar, to be comfortable, in a setting.


To be a person in a place:
A person is of two-parts, the Self and the Other (or the Mind, whatever). Everyone has both. To be in places, I would know what I do not like but I recognize it and I am familiar with this. I react to this and do the contrary (I'm not always a contrary person). This is basic identity behavior.


Places can be ethereal, of the astral, of the mind, of the parallel universe.
I like the thought that somewhere else, I am having a good time.


Identities as a kind of place...:
I lived in Shanghai for three weeks. I visited one-half of my ancestoral home, Suzhou. I thought I would feel connected, and I am a person with many connections, but I thought I would feel connected to people, a national identity, to a land of generations past.

I didn't. It's the same feeling, the same lack of connection I feel in Memphis. I'm not the first to experience this situation but many do this. Using identity as a place, as some sort of construct, to feel we are close to a truth. To feel connected.

But from a person with many connections, maybe the truth is, the one with many connections has to give up the deeper, personal connection.

Yay me.