Crossing borders in the recent past was probably less confusing and demanding than it is now. Institutions, social norms, and rituals made borders more rigid, and prior to the digital revolution and hyperglobalization, borders were more stable.
A young man came to see me suffering from what he described as an “identity crisis.” He felt lost and didn’t know who he was or what he wanted. His family had fled from their country of origin during a time of war and could no longer return without the threat of imprisonment or death.
Eugene Mahon is a Training and Supervising psychoanalyst at Columbia Psychoanalytic. His forthcoming volume of poetry BONE SHOP OF THE HEART is in press with IPBooks.