Dooyrt carrey aym red ennagh er y gherrid. Ta ayrnyn jeu ny s'feerey tra t'ad marish nyn ayr as moir, ny marish y çheshey, ny marish caarjyn er lheh.
Some parts of me are more real when I'm with my parents, or with my partner, or certain friends. I have seen this in my parents, too. It's never occurred to me to behave otherwise.
S'ainjyssagh dou yn ennaghtyn shen. Hoig mee foddey erash dy nee mish elley t'ayn ny keayrtyn; ny ny share, dy vel caghlaaghyn mish ayn as ta'n fer smoo baghtal jeu croghey er quoi t'ayn. Tra ta mee loayrt rish moir my ayrey, she mish mwannalagh agh kiart t'ayn; shimmey spotçh graihagh ta mee jannoo, as blass paitçhagh er, agh ta mee erreeishagh chammah, son ta mee cloie paart oe daaney ayns lught-thie cooyrtoil dy liooar. Tra ta mee loayrt rish moir my vayrey, she mish pragmatagh, granganagh, breeoil as kione-daaney t'ayn, as blass Lancashire er y Vaarle aym; ta mee cloie paart fer aasit ayns lught-thie ta cur towse dty hengey dauesyn ta graih ayd orroo, as geddyn y red cheddin erash.
'Syn obbyr, ta mee my Scouser gennal cour ny studeyryn goan ass y heear-hwoaie, as my 'er keirdey cooyrtoil cour ny shenn ollooyn. She mish jeeragh t'ayn mastey kuse dy chaarjyn, as s'oayllagh dou stiurey ny ta shin jannoo; mastey caarjyn elley, ta mee my host dy mennick as share lhiam geiyrt orroo na stiurey. Ta mee çhebbal geaylin da shiartanse dy 'leih croghey urree, as ta mish croghey er geayltyn elley tra fa feme aym.
Agh cha nee breag t'ayn, ny red ennagh myr shen. Vel enney ayd er skeeal yn elefant as ny doail? Er lhiam dy nee cosoylaghey mie t'ayn. She elefant Uss, as gollrish beinn rioee...
S'baghtal dou dy vel y macsoyley shoh çheet dy ve lane chramp, agh lhiggey dou rish tammylt.
She elefant-beinn-rioee Uss. Ta'n chooid smoo jeed ass shilley, as cha nel co-heks ennagh soilshaghey magh agh un eddin jeed.
Augh.
She elefant-beinn-rioee-gruaieagh Uss. Gollrish y fer shoh, agh ass rio. Ta'n chooid smoo jeed ass shilley, as cha nel co-heks ennagh soilshaghey magh agh un eddin jeed. T'ou feddyn magh towl cooie dhyt 'sy cho-heks, gollrish y ghoog shoh.
...
Eaisht. T'ou Uss gollrish elefant-beinn-rioee gruaieagh, as ta possan sheshoil gollrish boayrd fuyghee as tuill aynsyn oddagh oo soie ayndauesyn, agh myr hee oo, ta ny tuill ry-gheddyn foast croghey er cre ny cummaghyn ta soie 'sy voayrd hannah. As foddee nagh vel towl cooie erbee dtys ayns boayrd er lheh. Agh cha nel uss dty chummey neuchramp; ta caghlaaghyn gruaie ayd, as rish çhyndaa mygeayrt s'cosoylagh dy fow uss gruaie ta kiangley dy mie. Ny keayrtyn, she cummey beg t'ayn as dobbyr da gyn bentyn rish ny cummaghyn mygeayrt echey; ny keayrtyn elley t'ou soie ayns mean y voayrd as ta cagh bentyn roo dy fondagh.
As gollrish ny doail, ta ny caarjyn ayd fakin y ghruaie shen son y chooid smoo, as cha nel enney baghtal oc er ny h-Ussyn elley t'ayn, as cha nel ad cliaghtit roo. Agh cha nel eh jannoo y famman ayd eer beggan ny sloo "Uss" jus son y fa dy vel enney ec y fer shoh er dty chleaysh, as y fer elley er dty chass, as ta'n famman ass shilley cagh son y chooid smoo.
S'treisht lhiam dy vel shen baghtal nish.
The elephant, the blind men and the many Yous
A friend of mine said something recently, which I'd like to quote:
Some parts of me are more real when I'm with my parents, or with my partner, or certain friends. I have seen this in my parents, too. It's never occurred to me to behave otherwise.
It's a familiar thought to me (not wishing to sound smug, I was aiming for "thinking with one accord"). I've noticed it repeatedly over the years, that I'm different from occasion to occasion; or better, that there are various mes and the most salient one depends on my company. When I talk to my paternal grandmother, I'm irreverent but considerate, full of affectionate ribbing in a slightly childish vein, but still sympathetic and courteous, for here I play the part of a cheeky grandson in a pretty respectable family. When I talk to my maternal grandmother, I'm pragmatic, cynical, lively and opinionated, with a more Northerly accent; my role here is a grown lad in a family where affection means giving as good as you get, exchanging terrible puns and twinkling eyes, and being bluff and down-to-earth.
At work, I'm a cheery Scouser with the rare students from the north-west, and a polite professional with elderly academics. I'm forthright and take the lead amongst certain friends; in other circles I'm quieter and prefer to let others decide. I offer a shoulder for some folks to lean on, and do my own leaning on other shoulders.
But this sort of thing isn't a deception or anything. Do you know the story of the blind men and the elephant? I think it's a decent comparison here. You're basically the elephant, and like an iceberg...
Okay, this metaphor is getting a bit complicated, but stay with me here.
You're an elephant-iceberg. The best part of you is hidden, and only one facet is usually visible in any particular context.
Pants.
So you're a multifacted elephant-iceberg. A bit like this, except icier. The best part of you is hidden, and only one facet is usually visible in any particular context. When a context arises (like a group of friends) you seek out a suitable gap for yourself, like this.
...
Right, listen. You're a multifacted elephant-iceberg, and social contexts are like a wooden board with holes of varying shapes in them that you can slot into; but as you can see from the link, the holes that exist depend on what shapes are already sitting on the board. Maybe there isn't a suitable hole for you at all in some contexts. But you aren't a simple flat shape; you have many facets, and by turning a little you can typically find one to fit the context, even if it's a small one that barely touches the shapes around it. Other times, you're sat right in the centre with everyone else firmly ensconced around you.
And like the blind men, friends and family will see the facet that's presented to them, and have no clear idea of the other Yous that exist, and aren't familiar with them. But it doesn't make your tail any less "You" that this person here knows your ear, that person knows your foot, and really nobody else ever gets a glimpse of your tail.
I hope that's all clear then.
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