I will not be posting tomorrow, so let me wish you a happy independence day now!
My favorite American trait is that we have a certain generosity of spirit and enthusiasm. Europeans and Asians might view us as overly emotive and overly talkative, but I love that Americans strike up conversations with strangers when we are killing time together (e.g. waiting in lines, waiting for buses). And I love that they smile in greeting. I've come to realize that only Americans are taught that smiling is part of polite conversation. We are even advised to smile when we answer the phone as part of business etiquette. Certain of my acquaintances have struck me as dour until I realized that, having been raised in Europe, they didn't have the same conversational patterns as we have, that they were dour by training rather than by temperament. And finally, I love that the ideal for the American woman is to be strong, intelligent, and happy, not tiny, delicate, and fragile. I love that Julia Roberts is paid fifteen million dollars to splash her explosive smile onto movie screens. I love that we do not stifle laughter into giggles behind a cupped hand, that we are taught to celebrate laughing out loud. It is a gift to be unashamed of joy.
1 comment:
Have a wonderful weekend. The weather is nice here. Since school is not far, hope you can use its shower on weekend.
Post a Comment