One of the common recommendations for US travelers around
the globe is, “Don’t wear emblems of the USA, especially flags or anything that
would make you stand out as a potential target.” Everywhere I go I find people wearing
American flag t-shirts, hats and jackets, and carrying bags or umbrellas that
have uniquely American symbols on them. It occurs to me that the best way to
blend in with the local populous and “go grey” in the world is to wear an
American flag t-shirt, because only non-Americans seem to wear them in public.
There are much more typical things that Americans wear like ball caps, shorts,
white walking shoes, expensive water bottles, and fanny packs. But I digress.
People, after eventually guessing that I am American, are
quick to ask me about being American. They want to know what it’s like because
they have seen American movies and TV shows and heard rap and rock and roll music.
Often people dress like they think Americans dress, based on MTV and Hollywood.
Questions abound like: are all Americans nice; do they hate Arabs; are you
rich; what is LA and Miami like; have you met Michael Jackson or Elvis? A Berber
in Morocco learned I was American and quickly said, “I love America…Swishingle,
Rombon I love!” He was very excited and after a few minutes I realized that he
loved Schwarzenegger and Rambo. But,
again I digress. I do that a lot.
The point of this whole story is that I have never been
treated badly when anyone learned that I am American, in fact, it is usually an
ice breaker to a great conversation, a free cup of coffee or tea, and even a
meal. Usually, the meeting results in “you have visited my country; someday I
will go to America.” I tell them, please come. Our traditions are as rich as
any, and our customs and cuisines are so varied they hardly seem to belong to
the same country (maybe because at least 27% of Americans are foreign-born or
first generation Americans, including our President and First Lady.) Americans
are very generous (outgiving to charity pretty much every other nation.)
Americans are filled with national pride, and ambition, creativity and
ingenuity are core to our nation’s identity. Sure we have flaws, like being opinionated, self-centered,
demanding and even arrogant at times, but despite all that, our diversity of
religion, thought, national origin, and opportunity makes the USA, in my
opinion, the greatest country in the world. I may live internationally most of
the time these days, but I always go home to the USA. Happy Independence Day to
my 330 million peeps!
