First Families of Iceland

On Sunday I went to a lecture in honor of Sigurður Nordal, one of the foremost Icelandic literary scholars, after whom an institute is named. In attendance were many of his descendants, and my friend filled me in on each of their accomplishments. I was impressed. Then in walked Vigdís Finnbogadóttir, former President of Iceland. I was clearly under-dressed for the occassion. It still surprises me the extent to which families of intellectuals are superstars here in Iceland, the extent to which each family member's public identity is tied up with being part of that whole. My mom often tells me about my near relatives here, what they have done, and I try to understand that this should be a source of pride for me, but it just confuses me. To be an Icelander is to accept your family identity as part of your own, something which I have not, as of yet, done.

After the talk was over, some of the Nordals were getting their coats at the same time as me, and I mistook one lady's coat for my own, we had an awkward exchange. I think Leonard Nimoy was nicer to me when I literally bumped into him at the Los Angeles Opera.

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