I have traveled to 5 different countries on this voyage. I have attempted to talk to people and make friends. I have had a problem just communicating with many people. With those I have been able to communicate with there is an underlying theme in the conversation. In my experience, people do not like Americans (by that I mean from the US).
Statements like this are normally followed by some explanation that those who travel outside of the US seem pretty cool. Translated; they do not like us for what we do to the rest of the world, but on a personal level some of us are ok. The problem is, those of us they actually meet are fairly open-minded; those of us that live and die in the states are not so open-minded. Don’t get me wrong here, I Love the United States of America. I love the opportunities and the freedom I have there. I love the technology and the consistency I can receive anywhere in the US. Even BFE USA is still close to help when needed.
I have a theory that I tell anyone who will listen to me. I have used it in my life many many times and it has never failed me in my own self analysis and personal discovery. My theory is this “If you think everyone around you has a problem; it is probably not they who have the problem.” The USA is there for sure. We sit in our comfortable little country doing our thing and working hard to earn more money so we can go get in more debt and buy more stuff. That way we can waste more products, burn more gas, and do our part in destroying the Earth and our relationships with those that we share the Earth with. I am by no means a tree hugger. If you get a chance, read my description of my relationship with nature at http://www.myspace.com/danaarazi. it is an eye opening experience and unique perspective. It just really bothers me as I travel from country to country and people hear me talk or ask where I come from then proceed to tell me why my country is so messed up and why the world hates them. The worst part is everything they say we have done, we have actually done it.
Some people will claim to be Canadian to avoid this discrimination. I choose to announce that I am American and then spend the night listening to their perspective. Here is an example you may or may not like, but this sort of thing happens to me all the time. I wanted to play Ping Pong (table tennis) here in Biarritz. There were a bunch of people playing and every time I asked they were either “right in the middle of a serious game” or said someone else had the table after them. Then as one guy said goodbye to his playing partner, I asked if the guy still there would like to pay a game with me. He said no he was done playing for the night. I gave up and walked away. As I left I heard him talk to another guy there in French.
French dude “do you want to play a game”
Guy “yeah but wait till that American goes away”
French dude “Yeah he wanted to play with us too”
Guy “I know they think they can just take over anywhere. I just want to relax”
Let’s get one thing out of the way first here, I was stoked and happy as hell I understood them!!!!! Then after that I thought about what they had said and this is what the world thinks of us. Yes there are exceptions and not everyone thinks that exact thing. My point is that is the general response I get as an American. It is time for us to pull our heads out of the sand or whatever other dark place we have stuck them and start learning about the world around us.
At some point we were a well-liked and respected country. Not the fat cats we have grown to become, both physically and figuratively. I have seen many streets in Europe named after our presidents. For example in this little beach town in southern France, there is a John F. Kennedy Street. How cool is that?
Your mission, whether or not you choose to accept it, is this: go talk to your grandparents and ask them what made America so great in their day and how we can achieve that again in the near future. Do not assume you are correct because the rest of America agrees with.
Ahh! Can someone give me a hand as I step down from this soapbox now and get back to my blogging, thanks.
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