Would You Rather #59: Be Forced Out of Your Country Never to Return Or Never Be Able To Leave Your Country?

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It is torturous to say the least to be confined in a space no matter how long and wide; to know you’re restricted in your movement is burdensome. To be exiled from a place you call home or to be forced to flee for one reason or the other can be mentally traumatizing as well.

We say home sweet home for a reason; it’s the one place to return to where you feel belonged and safe. So to be in a position where that right is ripped from you would be tough.

The only two instances I can think of about being forced to leave your home country is that of political exile and fleeing due to war. History tells us several stories of rich people who fled their countries to escape their radical governments and that of ex leaders fleeing to escape justice for their misdeeds. The recent story of the Syrian refugees who flooded Europe depicts a vivid picture of being forced to leave the only place you call home just to stay alive.

As much as it is disheartening not to be able to return to your home country, I believe one can find or create a home for himself on a foreign land. The emotional ties to one’s native land might persist for a while and the memories might be painful to recall but home is where the heart decides to dwell.

How would knowing for a fact that it is impossible to leave the borders of your home country feel like? I believe it depends on where you find yourself on the world map. For some of us living on one continent, it would sound like a curse. For others on the other side, it’s no problem. Some have never bothered to travel out of their countries and they don’t intend to do so either. Why? It’s the best place to live. 

For those with a curious and adventurous spirit, being confined to the only sceneries they know would feel suffocating to them. One would always be left with the sense of wonder about what it looks like on the other side. But this has a good side too. We would do all we can to make the best of what we have in our home countries and stay

 in comfortably because there’s no other choice. But as long as there are greener pastures out there with an open door, most people would choose the easier way out for a chance of a comfortable life instead of staying and making things work.

I don’t want to be forced out of my beloved country never to return and not being able to ever leave my country doesn’t sound pleasant either. But I’d rather choose the latter as there is a very good chance of living out my dream in my home country without having to step on to the shores of another country with God on my side. Being forced out sounds terrifying; I wouldn’t want to ever experience that.

Tell me what you think. Which one would you rather choose and why? Always a pleasure to read your opinions.

© Josephine Amoako 2016