A Case of Mistaken Identity

Now time for Reflection:

Let me begin by saying that I really enjoyed Malta. I loved it. The food is really good (kind of Italian with a twist), the sun shines often; there is a relaxed atmosphere, which I think, stems from colonization after colonization. The people are used to tourists, which makes them moderately helpful, but careful about their culture. Every great empire in the history of world has ruled the Maltese. Phoenicians, Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, Brits, and now they are independent.  They seem to know that everything will pass away, so don’t worry too much about it.

Which leads me to my next thought: I don’t understand Malta. I have, of course, been comparing them to the Scots, cause that is what I have seen. Visiting the Scottish museums and the Maltese museums has led me to the conclusion that the Scots, who have never been conquered, have no idea of their cultural identity, and the Maltese, spending 99% of their recorded history (the history of Malta goes back 7000 years) belonging to someone else, have relinquished their need to be empowered by a sense of false nationalism. Don’t misunderstand me; they have a long and brilliant history, but it is also a humbling one. Even now, 100% of the Maltese economy is based in the service industry. They seem to have shed the need for a unifying national identity, taking in its place an understanding that these things don’t last anyway.

I don’t know what else to say about this. Malta is a beautiful country: The beaches, the grottos, the temples and churches, and the ancient Roman cities all hold treasures and stories; I think the difference in Malta is they know these things are commercialized, and they don’t mind so much. Oddly enough, putting an honest price on these things didn’t cheapen them. I appreciated the way the Maltese communicate their culture; it was with dignity and ease, as if they knew what we were there for and knew we would leave after we had got what we came for. They knew we, like the conquering empires, would simply pass away.

Advertisement