Where are you from?

I get this every so often. Mostly from Muslims.
I always stutter. I want to say "I am from Manchester thanks!"
I'm a Mancunian gosh darn it!
But that's not what they want to know. They want to know where I get my brown skin from. So I say, "my parents are from Jamaica". Then I feel like I'm disowning Jamaica, which I'm not. But I've never set foot there. My parents both attended secondary school in the UK and when the talk patois (Jamaican), I wanna hide under a stone lol! Because it's so alien to me (don't tell them ;)It sounds like they're putting it on.
I was having this conversation with my husband as it happened again and he said - as he always says "you're Jamaican".
He's Somali - well he's as Mancunian as they come but his parents are Somali. So I said
"I would argue that as Jamaica was a colony of Britain and under British rule for the longest time. The traditions and identity of Jamaicans (descendants of African slaves) has been somewhat eroded and intermingled with that of their 'rulers'" Well something like that lol!
So he said that maybe it was something about my family that didn't identify with being Jamaican.

Fair enough, I suppose that could be the case.
When I look at him I see that it is something to be Somali iykwim? Traditions,pride, a sense of belonging and many other things. That is aside from the identity he has from being a (born)Muslim.
I don't know what it is to be Jamaican. We ate ackee and saltfish on special occasions. But we ate roast chicken on Sunday's and everything else was not especially Jamaican (whatever that is).
I identify most with being Mancunian. I talk like a Manc. I walk like a Manc. But I don't drink like a Manc ;) lol!

Parenting can be lonely and thankless

Did I know that before I 'signed up'? Nope. I mean I didn't expect it to be a whirlwind of parties and canapes.
But shoot! It's isolating.
Well I'm not your socialising type anyway. I've been a home body for a long while. I could force myself to go to the park and smile at the other mum's but I don't want to.
Do you think you can make friends as an adult? I mean real friends?
I feel like I have. But I'm not very good at maintaining relationships, and relationships can't be one sided.
End waffle

Are you Socially/Environmentally Responsible?

I know for sure that i'm not environmentally responsible.
I walk past a lady that cycles to the nursery with her son and today I mentioned that I feel bad getting into my car when she's cycled.
I think I'm a wannabe. I want to be more responsible but quite frankly, i'm not.
I don't recycle. I dabbled in cloth nappies, that didn't take. I don't use my car often but I could use it less (less than 7000 miles in 3yrs). However, we are a two car family and we do use each others cars.
I've turned the heating down, but that was for my son.
I've started putting my food waste to be composted by the council. Only because they've given me the facility to do so.
So as you can see I'm not responsible. Sometimes I feel stupid

What happened to babywearing?

Gosh! it used to be my main obsession. I think I have an addictive personality ;)
I can't wear my youngest son as much as he uses me and the slings to scratch his itch :(